President John Dramani Mahama has made an unusually candid argument for the economic reach of his government’s Big Push infrastructure programme, saying that even side chicks stand to gain when contractors are paid.
Speaking in a video sighted by MyNewsGh, the President used the remark to explain what he sees as the ripple effect of public spending through the wider economy. His argument was straightforward: when contractors receive payment, money moves outward into households and personal relationships before spreading further into small businesses and the informal sector.
“And even the spouses, the wives, and the side chicks also benefit,” Mahama said. “Because when they are paid and they get something, they give their wives and side chicks some of their money.”
He continued by tracing the chain further. “When the spouses and the side chicks too get, hairdressers get, dressmakers get, jewellery shops get, handbag sellers get,” he said.
The President’s wider message was that the Big Push should not be assessed only by the number of roads completed or bridges built. He argued that the benefits of construction spending extend to communities, traders, and service providers who operate around and beyond project sites.
Mahama also noted that he had been impressed during site inspections by the presence of young professionals, particularly women, taking on technical roles. “I’ve been very pleased to see young engineers who have come out of our various institutions,” he said, adding that many of them are women. “You go and she’s in a helmet and they say this is a site engineer. I feel very proud when I see that,” he stated.
He further highlighted the informal jobs created around construction activity, including carpenters, steel benders, and food vendors. “Food vendors who go to the sites and sell a little waakye and banku and kenkey also make something to go home with,” he said.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) government launched the Big Push as its flagship infrastructure initiative, with GH¢13.8 billion allocated in 2025 and a record GH¢30.8 billion earmarked for 2026. The programme currently has 50 major road projects spanning more than 1,100 kilometres underway across all 16 regions of the country.
