Political scientist and senior lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Asah Asante, has blamed Ghana’s persistent road financing challenges on weak state capacity and entrenched corruption, describing the government’s indebtedness to contractors as a symptom of deeper structural failures.
Speaking on the AM Show, he said the state’s inability to raise adequate revenue for national development continues to undermine road construction and maintenance across the country.
“Remember, in governance, there’s something we call state capacity — the ability of the state to raise revenue to run its own affairs. We are not able,” he argued. “That is why we award contracts when we don’t know where the money will come from. It’s very shameful because we gained independence long ago.”
Dr Asante criticised Ghana’s reliance on external funding for road projects, saying it reflects poor planning and weak financial management. He warned that such dependence exposes the country to delays, inflated costs, and abandoned projects.
The political scientist also linked the poor state of Ghana’s roads to corruption, alleging that some political actors take “certain percentages” of funds meant for contractors, ultimately compromising the quality of work.
“When you take money from a contractor, you weaken the quality of the work the person is going to do. You cannot inspect anything. You have compromised yourself,” he added.
To illustrate the decline in infrastructure quality, Dr Asante referenced the durability of the Tema Motorway built in the 1950s under Dr Kwame Nkrumah compared to modern roads that deteriorate within a short period.
“We are fixing roads all the time,” he observed. “Look at Nkrumah — he constructed the Tema Motorway, and it was solid. But look at the roads constructed in our time; they get destroyed, and we rebuild them all the time. Corruption is in there.”
Government currently owes road contractors over GH₵40 million, sparking public debate about fiscal discipline and the sustainability of major projects under initiatives like the Big Push.
Dr Asante stressed that unless the government tackles both its revenue mobilisation challenges and corruption in the sector, Ghana will continue to struggle with poor road infrastructure and mounting debts.