Ghana is set to receive major financing from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the construction of the Volivo Bridge project. Following high-level talks, President John Dramani Mahama and JICA Senior Executive Vice President Ms. Miyazaki Katsura jointly made the announcement.
The planned Volivo Bridge is a 540-metre cable-stayed structure that will feature a 280-metre main span and 51-metre towers, making them the tallest bridge towers ever built in Ghana. The design will include two vehicular lanes, pedestrian sidewalks, safety railings, as well as integrated tolling and maintenance infrastructure, all forming a key part of the Eastern Corridor Road.
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When completed, it will surpass the Adomi Bridge by nearly 200 metres, becoming Ghana’s longest cable-stayed bridge and one of its most complex engineering undertakings. The Volivo Bridge fits squarely into the government’s $10 billion “Big Push” initiative, aimed at accelerating productivity-enhancing infrastructure rather than consumption-led growth.
Strategically located to cross the Volta River at Volivo, the bridge will directly link the Greater Accra, Volta, and Oti regions. This connection is designed to revitalise the Eastern Corridor, a crucial but under-utilized transport artery, thereby strengthening Ghana’s position as a logistics and transit hub for trade between southern ports, northern Ghana, and landlocked Sahelian nations.
The development promises significant benefits for Ghana. Primarily, it will drive economic integration and trade efficiency by drastically reducing journey times, lowering logistics costs, and improving road safety along a historically fragmented route. Furthermore, the project promotes regional equity by unlocking development in underserved regions and tests institutional credibility, aiming to demonstrate Ghana’s capacity to deliver large-scale infrastructure and rebuild investor confidence.
In 2025, Ghana’s economy exhibited a measured recovery and stabilisation, with nominal GDP reaching approximately $111.96 billion and growth estimated between 4.0% and 5.3%. This translated to a GDP per capita of around $3,193, supported by easing inflation, which fell to about 8% by mid-year, and a period of relative stabilisation for the national currency following earlier volatility.
Growth was driven primarily by services, a gradual recovery in agriculture, and stabilisation in macroeconomic management. However, infrastructure gaps, particularly in transport and energy, remained a structural constraint on growth potential.
Ghana’s six-decade development partnership with JICA, dating to 1963, is anchored in a model that prioritises technical rigor, lifecycle sustainability, and institutional capacity building over speed, with key historical milestones including the establishment of the premier Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (1979), the expansion of technical cooperation in the 1990s, and alignment with the TICAD framework focusing on quality infrastructure and human security.
JICA’s direct contributions to Ghana’s development are evidenced by key infrastructure statistics, including the rehabilitation or construction of over 766 km of roads, support for 28 bridges since 1991, and major corridor upgrades, with recent 2024–2025 commitments specifically targeting the Kumasi Inner Ring Road upgrade, Tamale power substations, Human Resource Development Scholarships, and confirmed financing and technical appraisal for the Volivo Bridge.
In the agricultural sector, JICA’s interventions have dramatically increased rice yields from 1.79 to 4.7 tonnes per hectare while training over 15,000 farmers, and in human capital development, their KAIZEN productivity programmes have demonstrated a 37% growth in productivity alongside fostering long-term capacity building within Ghana’s civil service and engineering sectors.
JICA’s partnership is critical for the Volivo Bridge due to its distinctive model, which offers concessional, long-term financing and enforces high technical standards. This approach, though methodical, results in lower debt stress and a strong emphasis on building local capacity, key advantages over faster but riskier commercial alternatives. For a complex cable-stayed bridge in Ghana’s challenging environment, JICA’s engineering depth is essential to mitigate long-term structural and safety risks.
However, the project faces significant headwinds, including Ghana’s fiscal constraints post-debt restructuring, inherent execution risks for mega-projects, and the need to carefully manage climate resilience, river hydrology, and realistic traffic revenue assumptions. These challenges underscore why JICA’s rigorous due diligence and phased implementation are not merely beneficial but necessary for the project’s ultimate viability and success.
The Volivo Bridge is set to be a transformative catalyst, potentially spurring logistics hubs, agro-processing clusters, and deeper trade integration under the AfCFTA. More than an engineering feat, it represents a strategic choice for quality-driven infrastructure and long-term value, symbolising Ghana’s shift toward sustainable development and a more connected economic future.
