The Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCC) has initiated consultations with the Ministry of Roads and Highways to strengthen the functional integration and operational effectiveness of road sector responsibilities within Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
This engagement is anchored on Ghana’s broader decentralisation framework and is intended to deepen the operationalisation of devolved departments at the local level. In particular, the consultation sought to clarify functional assignments, streamline institutional arrangements, and reinforce coherence between central sector agencies and local government structures, consistent with the legal and policy architecture governing decentralisation reforms in Ghana.
The initiative represents a deliberate policy effort to enhance downward accountability, promote subsidiarity, and improve the responsiveness of road infrastructure planning, implementation, and maintenance to local development priorities.
Ultimately, it aims to ensure that road sector management at the sub-national level is systematically embedded within the broader local governance system, thereby strengthening service delivery outcomes and territorial development outcomes. This included how selected road functions could be devolved to the assemblies based on agreed road classifications, while ensuring they have the capacity and resources to manage and maintain their road infrastructure effectively.
The Executive Secretary of the IMCC, Dr. Gameli Kewuribe Hoedoafia, described the road sector as central to the success of Ghana’s decentralisation agenda.
He said the country had struggled with some of the structural issues in local governance for years, noting that recent reforms were intended to correct long-standing institutional gaps.
He stated that, to better serve the people, the National Decentralisation Policy 2026-2030 has proposed that every district have a roads department. This is a deviation from the nomenclature of having feeder roads and an urban roads department.
“Every Ghanaian lives within a local government area, so there is value in allowing the levels where the issues impact the people the most to be able to deal with them,” he said.
According to him, local authorities are better placed to respond because they have direct knowledge of community needs, information that national-level actors may not always have.
Dr. Hoedoafia added that while the ministry would continue to handle policy formulation, monitoring and evaluation, implementation should not be overly centralised.
He said the President remains a champion of decentralisation as it ensures equitable development and ownership of local priorities for efficient service delivery. Therefore, he does not understand why some people remain at the centre and make decisions that impact the lives of the people at the local level.
Addressing the meeting, the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, welcomed the engagement and described the conversation as long overdue. He noted that although urban roads were placed under local government years ago, there has been no thorough evaluation to determine how effective the arrangement has been.
He said many of the functions that should have been handled locally are still being carried out at the national level. The minister also pointed out that road agencies lack the full technical complement needed to fully execute their mandates, including design work.
The meeting underscored the shared commitment of both institutions to strengthen decentralisation and improve infrastructure delivery across the country. As part of the way forward, the ministry and the IMCC agreed to each nominate five representatives to form a 10-member joint committee that will begin technical work on strengthening the devolved roads departments within MMDAs.
The session was also attended by the Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Alhassan Suhuyin; the former Local Government Minister, Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi; the Chief Director of the Roads and Highways Ministry, Ing. Samuel Kwasi Akuako; officials from the IMCC; representatives of the Ghana Road Fund; and Directors of key road agencies under the ministry.
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