One firm awarded a Big Push sole-sourced contract was created in January 2025 – Sulemana Braimah

MFWA Executive Director Raises Concerns Over Sole-Sourced Contracts in Big Push Programme

The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, has raised concerns about the awarding of sole-sourced contracts under the government’s Big Push infrastructure programme, revealing that some of the companies receiving these contracts were established only recently. He made the disclosure on Saturday, 28 March, during an interview on JoyNews 

Mr. Braimah highlighted that one of the firms awarded a sole-sourced contract was incorporated as recently as January 2025, raising questions about the transparency and competitiveness of the procurement process. He noted that contracts given to newly formed entities could undermine public confidence and reduce value for money in government projects.

According to Mr. Braimah, the Fourth Estate, a media organisation monitoring public procurement, had to appeal initial denials under the Right to Information Act to gain access to records from the Ministry of Roads and Highways. In addition, the organisation wrote to other agencies, including the Ghana Highways Authority, to verify contract details and ensure accuracy of the information.

He emphasised the need for stronger oversight and stricter enforcement of procurement laws, warning that awarding contracts without competitive bidding could create opportunities for mismanagement and erode public trust in government infrastructure programmes.

The comments come amid ongoing scrutiny of Ghana’s public procurement practices, particularly in large-scale initiatives such as the Big Push, which aims to accelerate infrastructure development across the country.