President John Dramani Mahama has inspected ongoing works on the Ofankor–Nsawam road, a critical national artery, and tasked contractors to ensure its completion by June 2026.
The President stressed that the project, which links Accra and Kumasi, Ghana’s two biggest cities, must be delivered on schedule to ease congestion and meet the expectations of thousands of commuters who depend on the route daily.
“This is a major arterial road in the country because it connects the two biggest cities in Ghana. And so any challenges with this contract affect a huge number of commuters because of the heavy traffic that passes through here.
“We were quite concerned about the complaints that were coming from the travelling public. And so we are happy to see that the traffic is flowing. But what I say to contractors is yes, we know you have work to do, but one of your duties is site management, to make sure that your work does not impede the flow of traffic.”
President John Dramani Mahama
The President’s inspection followed persistent concerns from the public about delays and disruptions on the road. He cautioned that contractors must make adequate arrangements to allow for smooth vehicular flow while construction continues. “Even while you’re working, you must create the conditions for traffic to flow,” he insisted.
President Mahama also raised questions over the financing of the project. In August 2022, the Ministry of Finance signed a $750 million loan agreement with Afreximbank, of which $200 million (then GH¢1.65 billion) was allocated to the Ofankor–Nsawam road project.
However, the President expressed concern that despite the loan being fully disbursed, the project remains incomplete, compelling government to release an additional GH¢78 million from its own resources.
“I can’t understand what happened. A loan was taken for this project, and I don’t understand why the loan, the money is finished, and the project is not over, and now we’re having to come and pay an additional almost 78 million from the Government of Ghana funds.
“So that’s something that we need to find out. Was it that the estimate for the project was not done properly, or what happened?”
President John Dramani Mahama
More Payments for the Contractor
During the inspection, President Mahama directly asked contractors whether the funds currently available would be sufficient to complete the project.
The contractor responded: “We still have some more money left in the contract to be paid us. So I believe that maybe in the course of time, we’ll probably raise another certificate, and that should be able to take us to the end of the project.”
The President assured the contractors that the government had secured adequate resources under the “Big Push” program to finance infrastructure projects.
“What we’ve done is that we’ve moved this contract onto the Big Push program, and enough provision has been made for the Big Push projects. This year, we have about 14 billion cedis allocation. And next year, we have another 30 billion cedis. So I think there will be sufficient resources to keep contractors going”.
President John Dramani Mahama
Call for Speed of Work
While pledging the government’s commitment to timely payments, President Mahama urged contractors to accelerate their pace and ensure the use of quality materials.
He warned that shoddy work would not be tolerated, recalling that poor quality has undermined the durability of many roads in the past.
“One of the major problems with road contractors in this country is the quality of material. And so you build the road, after a certain time, the road starts to deteriorate. Your company is one of the well-known road construction companies in Ghana, and so we hope that this will be a mark of the quality of your brand.”
President John Dramani Mahama
The Ofankor–Nsawam road, notorious for its heavy congestion, is widely seen as a test case for the government’s commitment to improving infrastructure under the Big Push program.
The President’s call for accountability on the disbursed Afreximbank loan also reflects growing public demand for transparency in the management of major projects.
Commuters have welcomed the renewed commitment to completing the project, which has long been a source of frustration. Many hope that the June 2026 deadline set by the President will be strictly enforced.
For the government, the project is not only about easing traffic but also about strengthening economic links between the south and north of the country. “As the government commits to paying you well, you too must commit to moving faster on the road and also use quality materials,” President Mahama urged.
The Ofankor–Nsawam road project remains one of the flagship undertakings under the government’s infrastructure drive. Its successful completion will be a milestone in the administration’s effort to improve connectivity, support commerce, and deliver on promises to the Ghanaian people.
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