as citizens flood social media with video reports of unprecedented road projects nationwide
By Gifty Boateng
A spontaneous army of citizen reporters has emerged across Ghana, with ordinary Ghanaians transforming into overnight “pocket journalists” filming and sharing video evidence of the unprecedented road construction boom under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration.
The viral phenomenon follows the launch of the Big Push initiative at Afienya in September 2025, where the President boldly declared: “The whole of Ghana is going to become a construction site.”
He revealed that a staggering GH₵13.9 billion had been earmarked for the initiative in the 2025 budget.
“This year, the Minister of Finance, on my instruction, put aside GH₵13.9 billion for the Big Push alone. Much of that money has not been used yet because we were still packaging and going through procurement. So we are going to roll that over to next year’s budget,” Mahama announced.
True to his word, road projects have erupted across every corner of the country and Ghanaians are not waiting for traditional media to tell the story.
From the Western, Bono, Central, Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern, Volta and Savannah regions, citizens have taken to their phones, recording inner roads, highways, outer roads and bridges at various stages of completion.
The trend has become a national obsession, with social media timelines flooded with raw, unfiltered footage of bulldozers, asphalt layers and construction workers in action.
Projects captured by citizen journalists include the Sunyani inner roads, Kasoa-Winneba highway, Pokuase-Nsawam road, Aflao-Ho road, the Accra-Tema Motorway, Ntontroso Bridge, Ejisu-Kuntanso road, Nkranketewa road, Yapei-Asikuma road, and the Mamso-Antoakrom road.
Others are the Amasaman interchange, Suame Roundabout-Kronum road, Adenta-Dodowa road, New Dormaa-Odumasi road, Winners-Idiroko road in Winneba, the main Nima drain, Prampram Junction-Tsopoli road, and the Bogoso-Prestea road.
The enthusiasm has spilled over into the airwaves, with broadcasters openly praising the President’s vision.
“President John Mahama, God will punish anyone who hates you. He did these works in Bole-Bamboi. Under the NPP government, development was concentrated at Kyebi. Any country that is developing does not joke,” declared Kumasi-based broadcaster Blakk Rasta.
Nana Jantuah of Ahenfie TV fame also hailed the President for his foresight in developing every sector of the country.
But it is the ordinary Ghanaian voices that have captured the nation’s imagination.
“John Dramani Mahama, save some of the money and stop these many roads. The roads are becoming one too many,” one social media user joked while sharing a video of a project.
“Beloved, this is the Dodowa road, which is being asphalted, and it is going to excite motorists. Those who were suffering on the dusty road John Mahama is going to make you happy in a few months. Someone listening may think I am peddling lies, but this is the road you are seeing. This is the Dodowa road; because they are asphalting it, they have diverted traffic,” posted Edwin O. A.
A commentator from the Bono region could not hide his excitement: “Ghana and Africa, this is the New Dormaa to Odumasi road. Before now, this place was always flooded with water. The bridge has been completed. If I say Kofi Job [the contractor] is working, no one should say I am campaigning. I have never seen this before in Sunyani. God bless Kofi Job and his workers. God bless the government.”
Under the hashtag #abanpapaaba, citizens are asking how a government under two years has managed to perform so impressively in a non-election year and why the previous government’s famous “Year of Roads” could not deliver anything close.
They thanked the President, Roads and Highways Minister Governs Kwame Agbodza seen days ago inspecting the major Nima drains at night various MPs, and MMDCEs.
“We have grown accustomed to seeing roads and other construction projects only in election years, when incumbents are seeking re-election,” they noted.
Some expressed amazement that the administration is funding these projects without borrowing internationally, and humorously asked the government to slow down paraphrasing former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s assertion that if the ruling party tackles all of Ghana’s problems, there would be nothing left for him to do when he becomes president.
One excited poster joked about the Nsawam road: “President Mahama, why are you doing the Nsawam road? What is the benefit? This has reduced traffic in this area, unlike in the past. Right now, we cannot linger when we quarrel with our wives, because when we go to work, they know there is no traffic.”
Another person filming the Ofankor-Nsawam road said: “This government is really doing a great job. The previous government started this project, and this government is continuing it.”
“Another update for my beautiful people. I mean, everywhere, every hour. You see, they start early in the morning. They want to finish this work on time,” said Lawrence Kofi Kusogbor, an account user, about what he described as the Stadium Junction road.
Beyond the Big Push, other road projects have been initiated or resumed after being abandoned in the past.
The scale of ongoing works has brought sudden joy and enthusiasm to communities, with many describing the development as unprecedented in Ghana’s history.
For now, Ghanaians are not just watching they are reporting, sharing, and celebrating.
And as one citizen journalist put it: “This is not campaign talk. This is the road you are seeing.”
Stay tuned to The New Republic for more updates on the Big Push and the citizen journalism phenomenon sweeping the nation.