• Ghana, JICA sign $20.4M deal to upgrade Kumasi inner ring road
• Project includes widening 3.2km stretch, improving key infrastructure
• Part of broader national effort to modernize road network

Ghana signed a three billion Japanese Yen ($20.4 million) grant agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Thursday, Oct. 3, to upgrade the inner ring road in Kumasi, the country’s second-largest city. The project aims to ease congestion and improve urban mobility.

The funds will finance the widening of a 3.2-kilometer section between the Santasi and Ahodwo roundabouts, along with upgrades to intersections, walkways, drainage systems, and links to the N8 highway.

Ghana’s Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwame Agbodza, welcomed the funding. “We are deeply grateful to JICA for this generous support and continued partnership with Ghana. But this is only one piece of the puzzle. From the Suame Interchange to the Konongo Bypass and the forthcoming 45km Kumasi Outer Ring Road, our vision is to reshape Kumasi’s transport landscape and unlock economic and social opportunities for millions,” he said. 

The project forms part of a broader government effort to upgrade Ghana’s road network. Recent initiatives include the widening of the Accra-Tema motorway and the construction of new interchanges at Flower Pot, Kasoa, and Tamale, aimed at easing traffic nationwide.

Ingrid Haffiny