Prof. Godfred Bokpin, a Professor of Finance and Economics at the University of Ghana Business School, has urged the government to increase investment in infrastructure, warning that inadequate public spending could undermine its ambition of achieving private sector-led economic growth.
He said Ghana’s infrastructure deficit required greater government investment to create an enabling environment for businesses to grow. The proposed $10 billion investment in seven or eight pillars of the new economy over four years may not be enough to transform key sectors.
Prof. Bokpin argued that spreading the funds across several sectors and projects would limit their impact. He stressed that the government must distinguish between wasteful expenditure and essential infrastructure spending that supports long-term economic growth. Nearly 70 per cent of recorded economic activity came from the services sector, largely driven by information and communications technology (ICT).
The economist expressed concern about funding for the Big Push infrastructure programme, noting that spending on the initiative in 2025 was less than $1 billion. He argued that Ghana needed to achieve annual economic growth of at least 14 per cent over the next decade to meet citizens’ development expectations.
Poor roads and persistent traffic congestion, particularly on the Accra-Kumasi and Dodowa-Adenta roads, were increasing the cost of doing business and reducing productivity.
Prof. Bokpin warned that poor infrastructure would undermine the government’s ambition of achieving private sector-led economic growth. He cautioned against allowing debt indicators to restrict spending on critical development projects. Ghana’s public debt declined to GHS 644.6 billion in November 2025.
The University of Ghana Business School professor questioned whether government investment was doing enough to support other productive sectors and promote growth across the country. He said the level of investment that government needs to stimulate growth and make growth structurally and spatially inclusive is literally absent.