By Iddi Yire
Accra, June 04, GNA – Japan has reaffirmed to President John Dramani Mahama its keen interest in financing the construction of a bridge over the Volta Lake at Volivo, a vital element of Ghana’s Eastern Corridor Road project.
A statement issued by Ghana’s Presidency said Madam Miyazaki Katsura, Executive Senior Vice President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), conveyed this commitment during a courtesy call on President John Dramani Mahama at the Presidency in Accra.
The proposed Volivo bridge, set to complete the vital Eastern Corridor Road, is a key project listed in President Mahama’s $10 billion “Big Push” initiative aimed at significantly upgrading Ghana’s infrastructure.
The Big Push, outlined in the 2025 budget, envisions investing $2 billion annually over the next five years in critical sectors, including roads, bridges, education, and healthcare.
“We are happy that the Volivo Bridge project is captured under the Big Push initiative,” Katsura stated, assuring President Mahama of JICA’s commitment to facilitate further discussions with the Japanese government.
He also revealed that a technical team would be dispatched to Ghana to assess the additional funding required for the project.
President Mahama secured Japan’s confirmation to fund the project during a visit to Tokyo in his previous term as President.
The President also accepted an invitation to the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in August, noting that he would engage with the government to secure the necessary funding for the construction.
GNA
Kenneth Odeng Adade