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President John Dramani Mahama has launched the Ghana Infrastructure Plan (GIP), a 30-year strategic blueprint designed to guide the nation’s infrastructure development and end the cycle of abandoned and politicised projects.
At the launch in Accra yesterday, the President announced a series of stringent fiscal measures, including a legal cap on the debt ceiling at 45 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2034, and the establishment of a Fiscal Responsibility Council to penalise infractions under the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (PFMA 921).
He reiterated that the acting Chief Justice had agreed to set up specialised courts to fast-track the prosecution of individuals who misappropriated public funds, highlighted in the Auditor-General's reports.
The President cited a shocking example where "the staff of a hospital attended a person's funeral and after that continued paying him for 26 months."
The GIP, initially developed by the NDPC during the President's first term in 2016, revised in 2019 and subsequently shelved, has been revived as the central framework for the government’s “Big Push” infrastructure initiative.
Linking the plan to the country’s historical legacy, President Mahama reflected on Kwame Nkrumah’s seven-year development plan from 1963, which recognised infrastructure as the foundation for a modern, industrialised nation.
“He built roads, railways, schools and energy systems to connect our people and unlock Ghana’s productive potential. That vision was bold; it was patriotic and transformative, and it remains timeless even today,” the President stated.
He, however, noted a sobering reality, citing the 2024 National Annual Progress Report by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), which revealed over GH¢70 billion in cost overruns across 18,000 capital projects, many of which were delayed or abandoned.
“We inherited Nkrumah’s dream, but we have yet to fulfil its promise. The Ghana Infrastructure Plan marks a strategic reset,” he said.
The President outlined the core objectives of the GIP, which included promoting balanced regional development, developing multi-sector linkages, and implementing legal and institutional reforms to ensure continuity across governments.
He strongly criticised the geographical imbalance in national development, lamenting the dissolution of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and its replacement with development authorities that have had “no impact, absolutely.”
To address this, he proposed the establishment of an agro-industrial park in the northern part of the country, with incentives to redirect foreign investors from Accra to create jobs and opportunities for the youth in the north.
The government’s “Big Push” initiative, the President explained, was the first instalment of the GIP.
It focuses on completing abandoned and delayed projects, in line with Article 35 (7) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates successive governments to continue projects started by their predecessors.
“The ‘Big Push’ is not about spending more; it is about spending wisely,” he asserted, adding that every cedi spent must be guided by the GIP’s priorities to ensure value for money and long-term impact.
He highlighted three strategic projects under the new framework: the Green Digital City transformation hub, the expansion of water systems in Kumasi, Tamale, Sogakope and Ho, and the development of strategic road and transport corridors.
President Mahama called for a collective national effort to safeguard the vision of the GIP, urged Parliament to enact enabling laws, the private sector to invest boldly, and civil society, academia and the media to promote transparency and accountability.
The Chairman of the NDPC, Dr Nii Moi Thompson, stated: “The launch of the infrastructure plan today is the first step of the process towards preparing a composite long-term plan that would include a systematic review and incorporation of not just the 40-Year Development Plan, which was prepared by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, but also the Ghana Beyond Aid, Ghana@100, and the Long-term National Development Perspective Framework, all of which were prepared by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.”
He said by the end of next year, the NDPC expected to have a composite long-term plan to be known as Ghana Vision 2057: A Roadmap to Economic Transformation and Shared Prosperity.
“We need a long-term development plan because without that we are not going anywhere.
We may make some progress here and there, but it would be likely to fall below what we really need, and our development challenges would accumulate over time until they become a crisis and a threat to social stability and national security,” Dr Thompson said.
The acting Director-General of the NDPC, Dr Audrey Smok-Amua, explained that the GIP was developed as the core infrastructure dimension of Ghana's broader 40-year national development plan (2018-2057), following an integrated, evidence-based and participatory approach that began in 2015.
She said the process involved a thorough assessment of existing infrastructure and data analysis to forecast 30-year demands while aligning rigorously with global commitments such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union's Agenda 2063.
