Highways and Hope in Ghana

I am in Ghana on an extended layover today. While changing flights we had a few precious minutes to exit the airport and talk with some Ghanaians about what was on their minds in advance of their national holiday celebration this week. It has been a few years since I was last in Ghana, and it was good to hear about the progress — and problems — that people want to talk about. I like Ghanaians and their instant friendliness when talking with strangers about their countries and their ideas for the future.

The last time I was in Ghana, I was tracking the impressive progress of the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s work to help Ghana modernize one of its major highways – the N1. It wasn’t a surprise to me that this was something that people wanted to chat about. I admit, I actively asked a few people about it, but they were immediately ready to give me an update on the project. Roads, infrastructure, and foreign investment were at the top of the list of things people said they wanted to see improved in their country. And even though some concerns about the N1 are in the headlines right now, it is clear to many that its successful completion will open the road to progress for millions of people.

Even an impromptu focus group of a couple of hours confirms that you can’t go very far without a road. And a good road takes a lot of work. I hope that the next time I am in Ghana I can travel the span of the N1 and hear what people are saying about it once products and services are moving at the speed they are hoping for. I, like the people I met today, am rooting for it.