Ghana’s pursuit of sustainable development has been driven by continuous vision and ambition. Since independence, successive governments have prioritised transformation, industrialisation, and prosperity. However, Ghana continues to encounter challenges such as infrastructural deficits, fiscal instability, and uneven regional development.
One of the most overlooked causes of this failure is the neglect of institutionalised development planning, particularly the marginalisation of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC). Established as a constitutional body dedicated to promoting coherent and long-term planning, the NDPC has frequently experienced its meticulously formulated plans being sidelined due to political changes. The repercussions of this neglect extend beyond administrative concerns; they lead to financial losses, inefficiencies, and the squandering of public resources, which the nation can ill afford.
The recent launch of the Ghana Infrastructure Plan (GIP) in October 2025 by President John Dramani Mahama could mark a key moment of transformation. The GIP, a comprehensive 30-year strategic framework developed by the NDPC, aims to guide infrastructure investments until 2055. This initiative presents a significant opportunity to address long-standing issues related to inefficiency and mismanagement, provided that lessons learned from previous experiences are properly applied.
The NDPC was established under Articles 86 and 87 of the 1992 Constitution, tasked with developing short-term, medium-term, and long-term strategic plans for Ghana, overseeing their implementation, and advising the President and Parliament on policy coordination. This framework essentially ensures that national development goes beyond election cycles, creating a strategic structure for continuity regardless of which political party is in power.
However, in practice, Ghana’s development progress has often been hindered by changes in government. New administrations tend to overlook existing strategies, opting instead to initiate new flagship projects aligned with their party’s manifestos. Each election cycle introduces new priorities, committees, and expenditure plans, often at the expense of ongoing initiatives or previously established strategic frameworks that have been costly to develop.
For example, national frameworks such as Vision 2020, the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy, and the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda were intended to guide coordinated efforts across various sectors. Yet, these frameworks were frequently replaced or abandoned prematurely. The role of the NDPC has become more symbolic than directive, and the lack of policy continuity has compromised both effectiveness and accountability.
The financial repercussions of neglecting institutional planning have been substantial. Each instance in which a new administration dismisses a national plan results not only in the forfeiture of investments related to the development of that plan, including consultancy fees, research, and administrative expenses, but also in the loss of economic value associated with projects that are delayed or abandoned.
The reports of the Auditor-General and various parliamentary committees have consistently highlighted concerns such as wastefulness, project duplication, and underutilised infrastructure, including incomplete hospitals and roads, as well as unimplemented digital systems. Many of these issues stem from insufficient compliance with coordinated national priorities.
Furthermore, recent revelations of extensive financial misconduct within public institutions, particularly the alleged GH¢600 million payroll and project fund irregularities at the National Service Authority, highlight how institutional deficiencies and political interference can lead to significant financial losses. These scandals are not isolated incidents; rather, they reveal a wider governance challenge, a deficiency in structured, accountable planning and oversight.
When public institutions operate without alignment to a national framework, resources are allocated reactively rather than strategically. Projects are often approved without being fully integrated into broader development objectives, resulting in duplication and inefficiencies. The NDPC’s marginalisation effectively removes the guardrails meant to prevent such inefficiencies.
In this context, the Ghana Infrastructure Plan serves not only as a strategic investment guide but also as a crucial instrument for protecting public finances. By anchoring infrastructure investments within a cohesive national framework, Ghana possesses the capacity to minimise waste, prevent duplication, and ensure that each cedi spent promotes a coherent long-term objective.
The GIP, launched in October 2025, is the NDPC’s most ambitious project to date, representing a 30-year strategic plan designed to provide a consistent framework for infrastructure development from 2025 to 2055.
It encompasses essential sectors such as transportation, energy, housing, water, sanitation, information and communication technology (ICT), and industrial zones. The GIP is based on population projections, urbanisation trends, and climate resilience data, thereby guaranteeing that infrastructure investments are aligned with Ghana’s long-term socioeconomic dynamics.
A key feature of the plan is spatial equity, which guarantees fair development across all regions and addresses long-standing disparities between the northern and southern areas. It also emphasises sustainability, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
At the launch, President Mahama emphasised that the GIP is not just another government policy but a “national development covenant,” a dynamic document meant to guide all administrations, regardless of political affiliation. “We cannot afford the luxury of restarting every four years,” he said, adding that “Continuity in planning is not a political favour; it is a financial necessity.”
For the Ghana Infrastructure Plan to succeed, it must close the longstanding division between planning and execution. This will necessitate structural, legal, and cultural reforms. Initially, Parliament must pass legislation that makes national plans legally binding for future governments. Without a legal mandate, compliance with the NDPC’s frameworks remains optional and thus politically fragile.
Secondly, budgeting procedures ought to be explicitly aligned with national development plans. Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) should be prevented from proposing capital projects that fall outside the approved frameworks of the NDPC. Establishing a link between the national budget and the GIP will guarantee that public funds are allocated in accordance with national priorities.
Again, implementing robust monitoring and evaluation systems is essential to track project performance, cost efficiency, and impact. The utilisation of digital tools and transparent reporting mechanisms can substantially aid in reducing leakages and the problem of ghost projects that have historically affected Ghana’s public financial management.
Finally, the institutional capacity of the NDPC must be enhanced. This involves securing sufficient funding, assembling a skilled technical team, and maintaining independence to identify deviations from national plans without fear of political repercussions.
Ghana’s challenge is not a shortage of ideas; it is a lack of discipline in their implementation. Each year, the state allocates billions of cedis to projects that are poorly coordinated, delayed, or abandoned. At a time when the country is managing high debt servicing and limited fiscal space, this waste is not only inefficient but also unsustainable.
The Ghana Infrastructure Plan offers a solution to break this cycle. By integrating infrastructure decisions within a well-defined, long-term framework, the NDPC can support the nation in transitioning from political to national planning, a shift that has the potential to save billions in the future.
However, this vision will only be realised if political leaders, irrespective of party affiliation, dedicate themselves to maintaining institutional stability and practising fiscal responsibility. Ghana cannot sustain the expenditure of reconstructing its systems anew with each election cycle. The associated costs, including missed opportunities, financial misallocations, and public disenchantment, are prohibitively substantial.
The work of the NDPC, as exemplified in the Ghana Infrastructure Plan, serves as a reminder to the nation that genuine development necessitates patience, coordination, and accountability. The history of unimplemented plans and financial challenges should serve as a cautionary note: sustainable growth is unattainable without consistent and strategic planning.
If Ghana adopts the GIP as a national, non-partisan framework, the country could finally break the cycle of waste and build a future rooted in strategic planning rather than slogans. The vital infrastructure Ghana needs, beyond roads and bridges, is the infrastructure of discipline, which involves dedication to building on existing assets, planning for future needs, and allocating every cedi as if the nation’s future depends on it. Because it does.
BY NANA DR SIFA TWUM
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