Sierra Leone and Ghana rural roads crumble, crippling trade and health

Residents of Ngandon‑Gbane in Kono District, Sierra Leone, say the main road linking farms and markets has deteriorated, especially during the rainy season, raising transport costs and limiting access to essential services. The community recalls a 2022 appeal by Paramount Chief Bindi Fainfa Ngongou II to the government after a contractor failed to complete rehabilitation work, leaving traders and motorists reliant on unreliable routes.

In Ghana’s Ho West District, the 11‑kilometre stretch from Ashanti Kpoeta to Kpedze is similarly in disrepair, forcing traders to carry produce on foot and drivers to abandon routes. The poor condition hampers livelihoods, harms women’s trading activities, increases accidents for motorcyclists, and forces pregnant women to travel far for maternal care. Local voices urge the government and President Mahama to build culverts and drains to restore road usability.