Ghanaian economist, Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin, has stated that the country lacks the foundational infrastructure needed to drive true economic transformation.
He said about 45% of economic activity relies on the movement of goods, services, and people, but Ghana has failed to adequately connect its cities to support such movement.
“The basis for economic transformation is missing because we’ve not connected our cities,” he said during an interview on JoyNews’ PM Express on Monday, April 28.
Prof. Bokpin argued that poor road connectivity forces many Ghanaians to relocate to Accra when they find jobs, instead of commuting from their hometowns.
“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 stressed.
He added that fixing the road network will ease urban housing pressure, reduce rent, and support regional development.
“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,” he said.
Prof. Bokpin further noted that Ghana’s food inflation is partly driven by high transport costs, as poor roads make it hard to move food from farms to markets.
“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 stressed.
