Accra: Japan has reaffirmed its commitment to finance the construction of a bridge over the Volta Lake at Volivo, a crucial component of Ghana's Eastern Corridor Road project, as conveyed to President John Dramani Mahama.
According to Ghana News Agency, this commitment was communicated by Madam Miyazaki Katsura, Executive Senior Vice President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), during her courtesy call on President Mahama at the Presidency in Accra. The proposed Volivo bridge is a significant project within President Mahama's $10 billion 'Big Push' initiative, which aims to considerably enhance Ghana's infrastructure.
The 'Big Push', as outlined in the 2025 budget, plans to allocate $2 billion annually over the next five years to critical sectors such as roads, bridges, education, and healthcare. "We are happy that the Volivo bridge project is captured under the Big Push initiative," stated Katsura, reinforcing JICA's commitment to further discussions with the Japanese government regarding the project.
Katsura also announced the dispatch of a technical team to Ghana to evaluate the additional funding required for the bridge project. President Mahama had previously secured Japan's agreement to fund the project during a visit to Tokyo in his earlier term as President.
Additionally, President Mahama accepted an invitation to attend the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in August. He expressed his intention to engage with the Japanese government during the conference to secure the necessary funding for the bridge's construction.