September 15,2026
Statement by Nii Nai Gogo.
U.S. Army Veteran | Security & Intelligence Professional | Security Expert Commentator
0272225229
Bridging Military Expertise and Civilian Capacity to Deliver Critical National Infrastructure for National Development.
I commend President John Dramani Mahama for what I consider an innovative and strategic approach to infrastructure development—the decision to incorporate the Ghana Armed Forces Engineers Regiment as a major subcontractor in the construction of the Accra–Kumasi Expressway.
The decision is particularly significant following the impressive performance of the Engineers Regiment, which successfully cleared 175.6 kilometres of the project’s right-of-way in 19 weeks, ahead of the 20-week target. That achievement demonstrates not only the technical capability of our military engineers, but also the value of discipline, planning, coordination and mission-focused execution.
As a U.S. Army veteran and security expert, I can attest to the fact that in the United States, critical infrastructure and strategic missions can involve close collaboration between military personnel, civilian agencies and private-sector contractors. Such collaboration creates an environment where expertise, technology, systems and institutional knowledge can be shared. The military learns from civilian contractors, while civilian professionals can equally benefit from the military’s culture of planning, discipline, logistics, leadership and mission accomplishment.
I believe Ghana can benefit significantly from a similar approach.
The involvement of the military should not necessarily be viewed as the military replacing the private sector. Rather, it can be viewed as strategic collaboration between military engineering capacity and civilian construction expertise. The main contractor brings specialised commercial capacity, technology and industry experience, while the military brings engineering capability, logistical organisation, manpower mobilisation, discipline and a strong mission-completion culture.
One of the greatest strengths of military operations is the understanding that a mission comes with an objective, a timeline, resources, accountability and an expected outcome. That mindset can be extremely valuable in the delivery of critical national infrastructure.
As Ghana continues to develop, we must become more innovative in how we utilise the resources and institutions available to the state. Where the Ghana Armed Forces possess specialised technical capacity, equipment and trained personnel, there should be opportunities for that capacity to contribute to national development—while maintaining the military’s primary constitutional responsibility of defending the nation.
This model can also help create knowledge and skills transfer, strengthen Ghanaian engineering capacity, improve project coordination and potentially reduce unnecessary delays. It can expose young civilian engineers and technicians to structured approaches to planning, logistics, risk management, safety and operational execution.
For me, the bigger issue is not simply about the military building a road. It is about leveraging every capable institution in Ghana to deliver national development efficiently, professionally and accountably.
President Mahama’s decision therefore deserves serious consideration as a model that could potentially be expanded to other strategic infrastructure projects, including bridges, emergency infrastructure, selected road projects and other areas where the military’s engineering capabilities can complement civilian expertise.
Development requires resources, but resources alone do not deliver projects. We also need discipline, coordination, accountability, technical competence and a strong culture of mission completion.
The Accra–Kumasi Expressway could therefore become more than just a road project. It could become an example of how Ghana can combine military capability, civilian expertise and private-sector capacity to deliver critical national infrastructure.
Nii Nai Gogo
U.S. Army Veteran | Security & Intelligence Professional | Security Expert Commentator
0272225229