The North Gonja District Assembly’s 2025 Programme Based Budget has painted a grim picture of the state of roads in the district, describing the entire road network as un-tarred and largely unmotorable, particularly during the rainy season.
According to the document, key roads linking major communities in the district remain in poor condition. The Daboya-Lingbinsi-Mankarigu road, spanning 72 kilometres, is under construction but rated very poor in all seasons. The Guo-Kito road (12km) and the Tachali-Daboya road (25.5km) are only partially engineered and rated poor. Other routes, including the 32km Lingbinsi-Wawato-Donkonpe road, the 28km Daboya-Bawena road, and the 18.2km Kuporto-Yazori road, remain non-engineered earth roads.
The Assembly notes that the deplorable state of the roads is severely affecting access to communities and hampering the transportation of farm produce to market centres, particularly Mankarigu, the district’s main trading hub. This, the report states, has contributed to a decline in crop production over the years, pushing many residents toward alternative livelihoods such as traditional weaving and smock-making.
The budget document further compares the district unfavourably to neighbouring West Gonja, which it says enjoys a better road network that has positioned it to harness its traditional textile trade more effectively for local economic gain.
To address the challenge, the Assembly says it will channel more of its internally generated funds and donor support into road and bridge construction. Planned interventions captured in the budget include the rehabilitation of the Darussalam-Alhassan-Kura feeder road (4.5km) under the Ghana Social Opportunities Project, spot improvement works on the Gua-Gua-Kito feeder road, and provision for reshaping and spot improvement of feeder roads across the district funded through the District Assemblies Common Fund.
The Department of Works, which oversees feeder roads, water and public works in the district, has however flagged staffing constraints as a challenge to implementation, noting it currently operates with just two officers, including a Feeder Roads Engineer.
