Ghana has secured US$500 million in finance to strengthen and climate-proof its rural road infrastructure.

The World Bank has extended the financing facility to the Ghana Market Access and Connectivity Project, targeting at least 1 000 km of roads to improve links between agricultural areas and urban markets, according to a report by Africa Business Communities.

The five-year project will affect roads in the Upper West, Northern, Savannah, Oti, Volta, Eastern, Ashanti, Bono and Western regions, which are key production areas for staple crops such as maize, rice, yam and cassava.

‘This project will improve access to markets and opportunities for rural communities while strengthening Ghana’s agricultural competitiveness and resilience,’ says Robert Taliercio, World Bank director for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone

‘It will directly benefit more than 550 000 people – including approximately 350 000 farmers, 250 000 women, and 310 000 youth. It is also expected to generate some 25 000 short-term direct jobs through civil works and road maintenance activities.’

The roads and attending drainage infrastructure will be designed to withstand climate-related risk or extreme weather events.

Technical assistance and support to build institutional capacity will help local road sector agencies to manage and maintain infrastructure assets to ensure the project’s sustainability.

The project will also kickstart Ghana’s Road Maintenance Trust Fund and introduce performance-based contracts for road maintenance.

9 June 2026
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