By Pearlvis Atsu Kuadey, Video Journalist
There is a familiar story Ghanaians know all too well.
A road is constructed. It is smooth, impressive and widely celebrated. For a moment, it feels as though progress has truly arrived. But after a few rainy seasons, the cracks begin to show. Potholes reappear. Drainage systems fail. The same road that once brought relief becomes a daily source of frustration.
So when we talk about infrastructure today, we are not simply talking about building more. We are talking about building properly.
For Ghana, the real problem is no longer the absence of projects; it is the lack of durability.
It is this cycle that Ghana now has an opportunity to break.
It is within this context that President John Dramani Mahama’s Big Push Initiative takes on particular significance. With an estimated housing deficit of more than two million units and over half of urban roads in poor condition, Ghana’s infrastructure challenge is no longer routine. It is structural.
The Big Push, a reported $10 billion infrastructure programme, is significant not only because of its size but also because of its scope. It seeks to address housing, roads, rail, water systems and job creation together rather than in isolation.
That matters because infrastructure delivers the greatest benefits when it functions as a system.
A dual carriageway does more than reduce travel time; it lowers transport costs and facilitates trade. A reliable rail network does more than move passengers; it shifts heavy cargo, reduces pressure on roads and improves efficiency. Effective water systems do more than supply households; they protect public health and enhance productivity.
When these elements come together, infrastructure becomes a genuine driver of economic growth.
But Ghana’s experience demands caution.
The country has never lacked plans. What it has lacked is consistency in execution.
Too many projects begin with promise and end in disappointment. Delays, unpaid contractors and inconsistent standards undermine outcomes. When contractors are not paid on time, work slows, shortcuts are taken and quality suffers.
This is why the conversation must move from ambition to discipline.
The real danger is not that the Big Push will fail outright. It is that it could begin strongly and then quietly fall into the same familiar pattern: impressive starts followed by short-lived results.
Nowhere is this more evident than in road construction.
A newly asphalted road quickly becomes a visible symbol of progress. Communities celebrate it, and commuters immediately feel the benefits. Yet within a few years, sometimes after only a couple of rainy seasons, that same road begins to deteriorate.
This is not inevitable. It is the result of choices.
Weak supervision allows standards to slip. Poor-quality materials reduce durability. Inadequate drainage ignores the realities of Ghana’s climate. And when speed is prioritised over quality, failure becomes only a matter of time.
If the Big Push is to succeed, supervision must be rigorous and consistent.
Engineers must not merely be present; they must be empowered. Every stage of construction, from the foundation to the final surface, must meet approved standards. Independent inspections should be routine rather than optional. Where work falls below standard, it must be corrected rather than ignored.
Material quality must also be non-negotiable.
Roads are not cosmetic projects. What lies beneath the surface matters far more than what is visible. A weak foundation, poor asphalt mix or inadequate drainage will inevitably lead to premature deterioration and higher costs over time.
There is also a broader institutional responsibility.
Bodies such as the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund must operate with transparency and efficiency. Beyond that, agencies directly responsible for road construction and maintenance, including the Ministry of Roads and Highways, the Ghana Highway Authority, the Department of Urban Roads and the Department of Feeder Roads, must enforce standards without compromise.
Contractors must be paid promptly. Public-private partnerships must be carefully structured. Project selection must be based on genuine need rather than political visibility.
Without strong institutions to support it, even the most ambitious infrastructure plan will struggle to deliver lasting results.
Infrastructure should not be judged at commissioning.
It should be judged over time.
Five years later, does the road still hold?
Ten years later, is it still serving the people for whom it was built?
These are the questions that truly matter.
Ghana does not lack ideas.
It does not lack ambition.
What it has lacked, for too long, is discipline.
The Big Push offers an opportunity to change that.
It offers Ghana a chance to move away from the cycle of build, deteriorate and rebuild. It offers a chance to invest not merely in infrastructure, but in infrastructure that endures.
But that will not happen through good intentions alone.
It will require strict supervision.
It will require quality materials.
It will require accountability at every stage.
Because this time, it cannot simply be about building roads.
It must be about building roads that last.
Anything less will not only represent a missed opportunity. It will be a costly reminder that Ghana has learnt little from the roads it continues to rebuild.
