Who are roads for? Welfare, rights, and the politics of road infrastructure reframing in Ghana

Datos Bibliográficos

ID24227148
AutoresPortia Nana Ama Brempong (0000-0003-3460-0859, Edith Cowan University), Kwadwo Adusei-Asante (Edith Cowan University), Obed Adonteng-Kissi (0000-0002-9324-7138, Australian Research Network for African Academics (ARNAA), Redbank Plains), Samuel Eduaful (Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg), Mark Opoku Amankwa (0000-0002-3271-7538, Edith Cowan University), Prince Nii Koi Kotei (Edith Cowan University)
Año2026
Páginas1-19
Fecha de publicación2026-10-12
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Contemporary African Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0258-9001 • E-ISSN: 1469-9397
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/02589001.2026.2734405
OpenAlexW7221678665
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas52

While infrastructure is widely acknowledged as a catalyst for economic growth and national development, its role in promoting equity, citizenship, and social justice remains underexplored. This paper interrogates the normative and policy dimensions of road infrastructure provision in Ghana by reframing it as both a government obligation and a welfare good. Using historical and policy analysis, it traces the evolution of road infrastructure from the colonial period to the present, highlighting persistent spatial inequalities and governance shortcomings. Drawing on Esping-Andersen’s welfare regime typology and social contract theory, the paper finds that road infrastructure provision in Ghana is systematically shaped more by political patronage, market efficiency logics, and donor priorities than by rights-based or welfare-oriented considerations. This dynamic has produced persistent spatial inequalities, with rural and marginalised communities being disproportionally excluded from reliable access to roads. The paper argues that road infrastructure should not merely be seen as a discretionary development tool, but as a fundamental right and a vehicle for welfare enhancement. The paper calls for a shift toward rights-based, equity-focused, and participatory infrastructure governance by integrating theoretical insights with empirical illustrations.

donor priorities · Ghana · infrastructure equity · Market efficiency · participatory governance · political patronage · Regional disparities · road infrastructure · rural-urban inequality · social contract theory · welfare state typology · African Studies and Ethnography · Public Administration in Developing Nations · Urban Planning and Governance

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