President John Dramani Mahama has assured Ghanaians that the newly launched Ghana Infrastructure Plan (GIP) will put an end to the long-standing problem of abandoned projects by ensuring continuity across different governments.
Speaking at the launch of the Ghana Infrastructure Plan(GIP) in Accra, President Mahama said the initiative is designed to promote efficiency, accountability, and better use of public resources.
He explained that the GIP will be backed by Parliamentary approval, making it a national framework that transcends political transitions.
“The next step is to develop multi-sectoral linkages to ensure that infrastructure supports agriculture, industry, education, and health,” the President said.
“We also want to develop legal and institutional reforms that enhance continuity across governments, ending the cycle of project abandonment.”
President Mahama noted that successive governments have often refused to complete projects started by their predecessors, leading to waste and inefficiency. He gave an example from his recent visit to the Western Region, where he saw ongoing projects that had begun under the previous administration.
“Yesterday I went to the Western Region, and two of the projects I visited were projects that were advanced under the previous government. I want to assure the people of the Western Region that we are going to continue and finish these projects so that we can properly utilise taxpayers’ money.”
He added that the GIP will mark a shift from “scattered, politically motivated projects” to more coordinated, long-term investments aimed at job creation and national development.
“Our goal is straightforward, yet transformative to move from scattered, politically motivated projects to unified, long-term investments that generate jobs, unlock value, and foster prosperity,” he said.
President Mahama explained that the government’s Big Push Initiative will serve as the first phase of the Ghana Infrastructure Plan, focusing on completing abandoned and delayed projects in line with Article 35(7) of the 1992 Constitution.
Beyond ensuring project continuity, the President said the plan will also address the growing issue of rural-urban migration by promoting balanced regional development and equitable access to opportunities across the country.
“The Ghana Infrastructure Plan introduces special planning models that promote balanced regional development and equitable access to opportunities. You cannot progress as a nation when you have geographical imbalance in economic development.”
He criticised the past practice of changing development agencies with each new government, noting that this has weakened regional growth efforts.
“Setting up SADA as a special vehicle to accelerate development of the north was strategic,” he explained. “Unfortunately, a new government came, shut down SADA, and created three broad development authorities: Coastal, Middle Belt, and Northern, which really have done nothing, absolutely no impact.”
President Mahama said that the imbalance in development has forced many young people from the northern parts of the country to migrate to Accra and other southern cities in search of jobs.
“Every child finishing senior high school in the north, after a certain point, has no economic opportunities, no employment opportunities, so everybody is headed towards Accra.”
All foreign direct investment is coming into Accra. Incentives that have been given to rebalance development have not been very effective. And we must find a way of making them more effective, and that’s why we are suggesting an agro-industrial park in the northern part of the country,” the President added.
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