Accra: The World Bank announced the approval of US$500 million in financing aimed at improving rural roads and market access in Ghana. This initiative, known as the Ghana Market Access and Connectivity Project (GMACP), will benefit over 550,000 people by enhancing rural road connectivity and strengthening agricultural value chains.
According to Ghana News Agency, the project seeks to expand economic opportunities and create short-term direct jobs for rural communities throughout the country. Poor road conditions and inadequate maintenance have long constrained rural livelihoods in Ghana, limiting market access, increasing transport costs, and leading to significant post-harvest losses. The project aims to address these challenges by rehabilitating and maintaining critical feeder roads in selected regions, thereby improving all-season connectivity between rural production areas and key markets.
The Ministry of Roads and Highways will implement the project, focusing on the rehabilitation and maintenance of over 1,000 kilometers of rural roads in the Upper West, Northern, Savannah, Oti, Volta, Eastern, Ashanti, Bono, and Western regions. These areas are major producers of priority crops such as maize, rice, yam, and cassava, which are vital to Ghana's food security but currently face market connectivity issues.
The project is expected to improve all-season access, reduce transport costs, shorten travel times, increase supply reliability, and open larger markets to smallholder farmers. This is anticipated to reduce post-harvest losses, strengthen agricultural value chains, and contribute to lower food prices and improved food security.
Robert Taliercio, World Bank Division Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, stated, "This project will improve access to markets and opportunities for rural communities while strengthening Ghana's agricultural competitiveness and resilience." He noted that the project will directly benefit more than 550,000 people, including approximately 350,000 farmers, 250,000 women, and 310,000 youth, and is expected to generate more than 5,000 direct jobs and over 25,000 indirect jobs through civil works and road maintenance activities.
The GMACP incorporates climate-resilient design to ensure roads and drainage systems withstand climate risks over the long term, with sustainability as a central pillar of the project. Additionally, it will help operationalize the Road Maintenance Trust Fund and introduce Performance-Based Contracts for road maintenance, while providing technical assistance to strengthen institutional capacity and ensure the longevity of rehabilitated roads.