Ghanaian economist, Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin, has underscored the urgent need for massive infrastructure development, particularly improvements to the country’s road network.
He observed that due to poor connectivity, many Ghanaians who secure jobs in Accra are forced to relocate to the capital.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ PM Express on Monday, April 28, Prof. Bokpin argued that but for the deplorable road network, people could commute from their towns to Accra for work without having to resettle.
“45% of economic activity involves movement—movement of goods, services, people and so on. So the basis for economic transformation is missing because we’ve not connected our cities.
“You have to live in Accra to work in Accra. Why? It should be possible for someone to live in Kumasi, commute to work in Accra, and return—either by rail or road. With a good road, you can do Accra–Kumasi in less than two hours,” he said.
According to Prof. Bokpin, achieving this would reduce pressure on urban housing and drive down rent, which is currently unaffordable due to high demand.
He also stressed that improved road infrastructure would boost agriculture and reduce food imports.
He noted that the efforts of Ghanaian farmers often go to waste because of poor transport systems that make it difficult to bring produce to the capital.
“Housing prices in Accra will fall once you make this possible. It will shift consumption from Accra to the regions. Communities will develop along those routes, and agriculture will become attractive again.
“Transport cost is a major driver of food inflation. Sometimes we prefer to import food from Burkina Faso or elsewhere because their roads are better than those leading to our own food-growing areas.
“Often, we go hungry in Accra not because our farmers are lazy, but because the gap between where food is grown and where it’s consumed is getting wider. And there’s no clear policy to preserve farmland,” he added.
