The World Bank has approved $500 million in financing for the Ghana Market Access and Connectivity Project (GMACP), a major initiative aimed at improving rural road connectivity and strengthening agricultural value chains.
The project is expected to expand economic opportunities and create short-term direct jobs for rural communities across the country.
A statement issued by the World Bank on Friday, and copied to The Ghanaian Times, said poor road conditions and inadequate maintenance had long constrained rural livelihoods in Ghana.
It explained that the situation had limited market access, increased transport costs and contributed to significant post-harvest losses.
The statement said the project would directly address those challenges by rehabilitating and maintaining critical feeder roads in selected regions, thereby improving all-season connectivity between rural production areas and key markets.
It noted that the intervention would enable farmers to reach buyers more efficiently, transition into higher-value agricultural activities, and unlock job and income opportunities along agricultural value chains.
The World Bank Division Director for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Robert Taliercio, said the project would improve access to markets and opportunities for rural communities while strengthening Ghana’s agricultural competitiveness and resilience.
He added that the initiative would directly benefit more than 550,000 people, including about 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 GMACP, which will be implemented by the Ministry of Roads and Highways, will support the rehabilitation and maintenance of more than 1,000 kilometres of rural roads.
These will span four clusters across the Upper West, Northern, Savannah, Oti, Volta, Eastern, Ashanti, Bono and Western regions.
The World Bank indicated that these areas were major producers of priority crops such as maize, rice, yam and cassava, which are central to Ghana’s food security but continue to be constrained by poor market connectivity.
It said improved all-season access would help reduce transport costs, shorten travel time, increase supply reliability and open up larger markets to smallholder farmers.
This, it added, would ultimately reduce post-harvest losses, strengthen agricultural value chains and contribute to lower food prices and improved food security.
The project also incorporates climate-resilient designs to ensure that roads and drainage systems can withstand long-term climate risks.
The statement further explained that sustainability remained a key pillar of the project, as it would help operationalise the Road Maintenance Trust Fund (RMTF) and introduce performance-based contracts for road maintenance.
It will also provide technical assistance to strengthen institutional capacity and ensure that rehabilitated roads remain functional beyond the project’s completion.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
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