Ghana Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in ghana, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Construction and Infrastructure Industry
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Overview

The creation, repair, maintenance, alteration and demolition of buildings, highways, streets, bridges, roads, sewers, railways, and communication systems comprises a significant market in Ghana. Key construction subsectors in Ghana include: 1) housing and urban development, including the construction of residential buildings and municipal and commercial buildings; 2) infrastructure, such as water and sanitation; and 3) transportation infrastructure such as roads, airports, ports, and harbors. The demand for construction and infrastructure development to address housing needs, upgrade roads for freight transport, and create transport corridors for exports, among other areas, remains strong.

The approximately $8 billion Ghanaian construction sector has accounted for more than 15% of the nation’s annual GDP in recent years. This industry provides employment for approximately 420,000 people. An estimated 2,500 active building and construction contractors currently operate in the Ghanaian market. Players range from indigenous micro-enterprises and individual contractors to foreign multinational civil engineering and construction giants. Delays in payment by the Government of Ghana for projects – especially in the road sector – is a common phenomenon.

Proposed or Ongoing Projects in Ghana

  • Keta Port Project (see our Market Intelligence Report)
  • District and regional hospitals project
  • West Africa Petroleum Hub
  • Takoradi Gas Tank Farms
  • Gas Pipelines – laying pipelines in mining areas around Tarkwa
  • Expansion of Secondary Schools under the Second Cycle system
  • Affordable Housing
  • Accra Marine Drive Tourism Project
  • Tetteh Quashie Cocoa Museum
  • Cape Coast Slavery Museum
  • Petronia City Project

Rail network, including several rail lines within Ghana and regional lines; a coastal line running from Nigeria through Ghana to Côte d’Ivoire; and a North-South line from Ghana to Burkina Faso

Industry Players

The construction industry in Ghana is composed of building project consultants, engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, building contractors, and artisans. The Chamber of Construction Industry Ghana is responsible for promoting the activities of this industry, from advocating to helping find overseas suppliers. Contact CS Ghana to understand the details of how contractors are classified and how this could affect your business.

Opportunities for U.S. companies

  • Construction, maintenance, and services for roads and railways
  • Rail upgrades and passenger rail transport on selected rail corridors
  • Lake transportation systems
  • Air transport operators for domestic and sub-regional services
  • Upgrading of existing trunk roads
  • Affordable housing construction and property – please see our latest market intelligence report.
  • Sale of affordable and durable building materials such as fixtures and furnishings

(See the Selling to the Public Sector section for more information about tenders, bidding procedures and approaches. Commerce Service Ghana can provide support for business activity in the public sector.)

Contact: U.S. Commercial Service Ghana Commercial Specialist PaaEkow Quansah at Office.Accra@trade.gov or +233 (0) 30 274 1329 for more information on this sector.

Resources

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

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