Ghana's Upper West Gets Roads That Cut Travel Time by 60%

What used to take four to five hours now takes 80 minutes, and drivers in Ghana's Upper West Region can hardly believe the transformation.

President John Dramani Mahama's "Big Push" infrastructure program is delivering real results on the ground. On August 20, the region's parliamentary team inspected progress on key roads connecting communities that have long struggled with terrible travel conditions.

The inspection revealed a clear standout. P&W Ghanem Limited earned glowing praise from every member of parliament who visited their work sites.

"P&W Ghanem is showing class. He's showing speed. He's showing competence," said Wa West MP Peter Lanchene Toobu. The contractor has nearly completed the prime seal on one project and applied second seals across entire stretches.

The company is tackling two major projects totaling 47 kilometers. The first runs 22 kilometers from Manco Reef, while the second covers 25 kilometers split between routes toward Lawra and Lambussie.

CEO Caesar Ghanem confidently told lawmakers his team will finish before the January 2028 deadline. Each project has a two-year timeline, and current progress suggests they'll beat that mark.

The Ripple Effect

The impact reaches far beyond saved time. Hudu Nafa, who regularly travels from Wa to Tumuh, said the journey that once took four to five hours now takes one hour and 20 minutes.

"The road is very nice," he said. "Let's give thanks and praises, and we'll continue to vote for the government."

Nurudin Saani from the National Health Insurance Authority agreed. "Previously the road was very terrible. You could use almost four hours to Wa. Now I used two hours. When JM was saying it, a lot of people had doubts. But it has really come to reality."

The parliamentary caucus didn't just hand out praise. They pressured contractors falling behind schedule and called for maintenance of deteriorating older roads.

Nadowli-Kaleo MP Anthony Sumah raised concerns about sections from Magazine to Jang that have badly deteriorated. "We cannot be building new roads and neglecting the old ones that need maintenance," he said.

The lawmakers promised to report their findings to the Roads Minister and push for action against contractors who can't deliver. Lawra MP Bede Ziedeng put it bluntly: "Those who cannot do the work, let's take the contract from them and give to people who can do it."

For communities that have watched road promises come and go, seeing actual asphalt makes all the difference.