World Bank approves $500m for Ghana to improve rural roads and market access
The World Bank has announced approval of $500 million in financing for Ghana.
In a press release copied to Ghana Business News, the Bank said the financing is for the Ghana Market Access and Connectivity Project (GMACP), a major initiative to improve rural road connectivity, strengthen agricultural value chains, expand economic opportunities, and create short-term direct jobs for rural communities across Ghana.
According to the Bank, poor road conditions and inadequate maintenance have long constrained rural livelihoods in Ghana, limiting market access, driving up transport costs, and contributing to significant post-harvest losses. It says the project directly addresses these challenges by rehabilitating and maintaining critical feeder roads in selected regions, improving all-season connectivity between rural production areas and key markets, and enabling farmers to reach buyers more efficiently, transition into higher-value agricultural activities, and unlock local job and income opportunities along agricultural value chains.
Commenting, Robert Taliercio, World Bank Division Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone said: “This project will improve access to markets and opportunities for rural communities while strengthening Ghana’s agricultural competitiveness and resilience.”
He added: “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 more than 5,000 direct jobs and over 25,000 indirect jobs through civil works and road maintenance activities.”
The Bank indicated that the project, to be implemented by the Ministry of Roads and Highways, will support the rehabilitation and maintenance of more than 1,000 kilometers of rural roads across four clusters spanning the Upper West, Northern, Savannah, Oti, Volta, Eastern, Ashanti, Bono, and Western regions. These areas are major producers of priority crops — including maize, rice, yam, and cassava — that are central to Ghana’s food security but remain constrained by poor market connectivity.
Improved all-season access aims to reduce transport costs, shorten travel times, increase supply reliability, and open larger markets to smallholder farmers, ultimately reducing post-harvest losses, strengthening agricultural value chains, and contributing to lower food prices and improved food security.