Upper East NPP backs Alagumgube call for inclusion in $500m World Bank rural roads project

The Upper East Regional Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Ayamga Ayinbisa, has questioned the decision to exclude the Upper East Region from the beneficiaries of the World Bank-funded $500 million Ghana Market Access and Connectivity Project (GMACP).

Mr. Ayinbisa described the exclusion as unacceptable, arguing that the region, which relies heavily on agriculture and has long faced challenges with poor road connectivity, deserves to benefit from the project.

His comments come after concerns raised by Alagumgube, a development advocacy group in the Upper East Region, calling for the region to be considered under the initiative aimed at improving rural roads and strengthening agricultural value chains.

The GMACP, approved by the World Bank in May 2026, is designed to improve rural road connectivity, expand economic opportunities, support farmers’ access to markets, and create short term jobs through road rehabilitation and maintenance activities.

According to the World Bank, the five-year project will support the rehabilitation and maintenance of more than 1,000 kilometres of rural roads across selected regions, with the goal of reducing transport challenges and improving links between farming communities and markets.

However, Mr. Ayinbisa believes leaving out the Upper East Region raises serious questions, considering the region’s contribution to Ghana’s agricultural sector and the difficulties faced by rural communities due to poor feeder road networks.

He urged stakeholders and authorities responsible for the selection of beneficiary areas to reconsider the decision and ensure that the Upper East Region is included in the programme.

“The exclusion of the Upper East Region from such a critical intervention is unacceptable,” Mr. Ayinbisa said, adding that development projects of this nature must take into account the needs of all regions.

The call adds to growing concerns among residents and development advocates who are demanding equitable distribution of national infrastructure investments.