World Bank: Ghana loses $4.55 billion annually to poor roads

The World Bank reports that Ghana loses approximately $4.55 billion annually due to poor road conditions, congestion, and accidents. This economic loss represents about 2.1% of the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a figure that exceeds the country's entire national education budget.

According to the 10th Ghana Economic Update, only 27% of Ghana’s 94,200-kilometer road network is paved, with more than half of those roads in fair-to-poor condition. The report also highlights a significant decline in the rail network, which shrank from 947 kilometers of operational rail in 1960 to roughly 160 kilometers by 2020.

Dr. Robert Taliercio, the World Bank's Division Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, emphasized that fixing the transport sector is essential for broader economic recovery. Proposed reforms to address these issues include operationalizing a Road Maintenance Trust, developing a unified national transport strategy, and treating road safety as a public health emergency to reduce the high fatality rate.