President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Presidential Staffer and corporate executive Gabriel Opoku-Asare as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Road Maintenance Trust Fund (RMTF).
Mr Opoku-Asare and 14 other board members were inaugurated by the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, at a ceremony held at the Ministry in Accra on Monday, 9 November 2026.
He succeeds Isaac Adjei Mensah, Member of Parliament for Wassa East, as chairman of the fund.
Over 20 years of international executive experience
Mr Opoku-Asare brings more than 20 years of executive leadership experience in public policy, international trade and corporate affairs, having worked across Africa, Europe, Asia and North America.
He currently serves as a Presidential Staffer and Chief Export Development Officer at the Office of the President under the 24-Hour Economy initiative, where he leads Ghana’s export transformation agenda, including efforts to expand market access under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He is also an advisory member of the Presidential Committee on Accelerated Export Development (PCAED), chaired by President Mahama, and a Non-Executive Director of Airtel Ghana Limited, also known as AT Ghana.
Before joining government, he held several senior executive positions with multinational beverage company Diageo across three continents.
As Head of Society for Africa, he led sustainability strategies across 13 priority markets in four business units, working with international institutions including the African Union, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
He subsequently served as Executive Director of Corporate Affairs for Diageo Southeast Asia, based in Singapore, overseeing teams in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
The appointment made him the first African corporate affairs leader to serve at executive level for Diageo in another region.
He also served as Director of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) for Diageo North America, based in Washington, D.C., where he championed circular-economy initiatives, including glass recycling programmes in Kentucky, Illinois and Colorado.
He also addressed major sustainability forums in California, Illinois and Maryland.
Experience in Ghana’s corporate and regulatory sectors
After his time at Diageo, Mr Opoku-Asare became Chief Public Affairs Officer and a member of the global executive team at pawaTech, a Tallinn, Estonia-based technology company operating in 18 African markets.
At pawaTech, he led public affairs and regulatory strategy and helped establish a pan-African industry association.
His earlier career includes serving as Executive Director of Corporate Relations at Guinness Ghana Breweries, Head of Corporate Affairs at Unilever Ghana, Group Head of Corporate Affairs at the Mohinani Group and Head of Projects and Customer Relations at K-NET Ghana.
At Unilever Ghana, he also served as Administrator of the Unilever Ghana Foundation.
Of particular relevance to his new responsibility at the RMTF, Mr Opoku-Asare led Diageo’s first global drink-driving partnership with Ghana’s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
The initiative incorporated a drink-driving awareness electronic learning module into Ghana’s national driver examination.
He also co-founded the Africa Plastics Recycling Alliance alongside Unilever, Nestlé and Coca-Cola.
His previous industry leadership positions include Vice Chairman of the Beverage Sector of the Association of Ghana Industries and Vice Chairman of the Alcohol Manufacturers and Importers Association.
His professional recognitions include Ghana CSR Practitioner of the Year in 2018, second-best Corporate Relations Leader across Diageo globally, and three Diageo Global Corporate Relations Awards in 2019.
Academic qualifications and professional background
Mr Opoku-Asare holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Land Economy from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
He also holds a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and a Graduate Certificate in Public Relations from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
He has undertaken executive education programmes at Harvard University and the University of Oxford.
He is an Accredited Public Relations Practitioner (APR) and an alumnus of Opoku Ware School in Kumasi.
Opoku-Asare pledges accountability and value for money
Speaking after his appointment, Mr Opoku-Asare said he was honoured by the opportunity to serve, stressing the importance of effective road maintenance in protecting lives, livelihoods and public resources.
“I am deeply honoured by this call to service. Road maintenance is where public money either protects lives and livelihoods or is lost to potholes and delays,” he said.
He added that the new board would be guided by accountability, value for money and collaboration with the Ministry, Parliament, road agencies, the private sector and road users.
Mr Opoku-Asare is expected to champion a sustainable approach to road maintenance, with a focus on ensuring that Ghana’s road infrastructure is maintained efficiently and responsibly over the long term.
A keen international traveller, he has visited 80 countries across six continents.
Full membership of the 15-member Board
Mr Opoku-Asare will lead a 15-member Board of Trustees comprising representatives from government institutions, professional associations, traditional authorities, civil society, road contractors and road users.
The other members are:
- Mr Courage Kwabena Barlon – Administrator, Road Maintenance Trust Fund.
- Ing. Samuel Kwasi Akuaku – Chief Director, Ministry of Roads and Highways.
- Mrs Sarah Fafa Kpodo – Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice.
- Mr Richard Fedieley – Ministry of Transport.
- Dr Grace Fidelia Annan – Ministry of Finance.
- Mr Amin Abdul-Rahaman – Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.
- Hon. Alidu Iddrisu Zakari – Former Member of Parliament for Walewale, representing civil society with expertise in road infrastructure.
- Queen Mother Mamaga Sename III – Presidential nominee.
- Mrs Victoria Kuma-Mintah – Presidential nominee.
- Mr Adam Awal – Presidential nominee.
- Sawla Wura Iddrisu Abdulai Nugbaso – Chief of Sawla, representing road users.
- Mr Stephen Kwaku Attatsi – Association of Road Contractors.
- Surv. Rev. Allan Okomeng-Mensah – Ghana Institution of Surveyors.
- Ing. Godwin Joseph Brocke – Ghana Institution of Engineers.
New legal framework for road maintenance
The Road Maintenance Trust Fund was established as a body corporate under the Road Maintenance Trust Fund Act, 2025 (Act 1147), replacing the former Road Fund.
Unlike the previous arrangement, the new fund is governed by its own Board of Trustees, with membership drawn from government, professional institutions, traditional authorities, road contractors, civil society and road users.
The fund is also subject to parliamentary oversight and independent auditing.
The inauguration of the new board marks the beginning of a new governance structure for the management of resources dedicated to maintaining Ghana’s road network.
