ID: 1535
Presenting Author: Irene Yeboah
Session: 639 - Contested Narratives: Misinformation, Mobilisation and Impact Assessment
Status: pending
Misinformation threatens Ghanaian infrastructure projects by quickly eroding public trust, inciting resistance, and causing delays that increase costs and compromise sustainability.
Misinformation is emerging as one of the most pressing threats to the delivery of infrastructure projects in Ghana. With increased use of social media and instant communication platforms, unverified information can spread quickly, influencing public opinion and stakeholder decision-making long before corrective facts emerge. For infrastructure projects, which often involve large financial commitments, financing, and significant community impacts, the consequences of misinformation are profound. False narratives surrounding project impacts can erode public trust and incite community resistance, leading to protests, delays, and legal battles that increase project costs and timelines. In some cases, misinformation influences political discourse, leading to policy reversals or the withdrawal of crucial funding. Moreover, reputational damage to contractors, consultants and government agencies can compromise future opportunities for collaboration. Beyond financial and reputational costs, misinformation also risks undermining the long-term sustainability of infrastructure, as projects are forced to compromise design standards or engagement processes in the face of public resistance. This paper examines the pathways through which misinformation spreads and its cascading effects on project outcomes within Ghana’s energy, transport, and urban development sectors. Drawing on qualitative analysis of case studies and media reports, it identifies critical stages of vulnerability from feasibility to project commissioning, where false narratives shape stakeholder attitudes and policy respo
Irene is a Manager for Urban Infrastructure at Constromart, is an E&S Risk Analyst and Urban Planning Specialist. She drives climate-proof infrastructure and resource circularity for public well-being
Coauthor 1: Antoinette Salmata Gabby Hayes