President John Dramani Mahama has said Ghana’s infrastructure programme is intended not only to expand physical infrastructure but also to reduce inequalities in access to essential services between rural and urban communities.

Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly, President Mahama said the government’s Big Push Programme was being used to expand roads, digital connectivity, schools and health facilities across the country.

He said the investment was designed to open up communities, improve access to services and unlock economic opportunities, particularly in areas that have historically faced infrastructure gaps.

“That is why we are pursuing an aggressive national infrastructure agenda under our Big Push Programme to build roads, expand digital connectivity, and construct schools and health facilities,” he said.

President Mahama said the programme would help bridge the rural-urban divide while supporting agricultural production and improving access to basic services.

“This strategic investment is opening up the length and breadth of our country, bridging the rural-urban divide, unlocking agricultural potential, and guaranteeing equitable access to basic services for every Ghanaian, no matter where they live,” he said.

He linked the infrastructure drive to the government’s wider economic strategy, including the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, which he said would support industrialisation, value addition and job creation.

President Mahama maintained that the ultimate measure of Ghana’s development should be whether citizens experience improvements in their daily lives through better infrastructure, healthcare, education and economic opportunities.