Forced labour was central to the provision of public infrastructure in African colonies. Whereas current historiography focuses on the role of external drivers, such as humanitarian organizations or the Forced Labour Convention of 1930, in triggering change, no attention has been paid to the local initiatives that contributed to the end of forced labour. This article explores the transition to paid voluntary labour in the context of road building and maintenance in the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast, a region where incentives to resort to compulsion were very high due to the lack of alternative sources of revenue to finance public works. The article shows that movements away from forced labour were shaped by local conditions, and rural populations played a crucial part in the shifts in labour relations.

强迫劳动对于非洲殖民地公共基础设施的提供至关重要。当前的史学主要关注外部驱动因素（例如人道主义组织或 1930 年《强迫劳动公约》）在引发变革方面的作用，但没有关注有助于结束强迫劳动的当地举措。本文探讨了黄金海岸北部地区道路建设和维护背景下向有偿志愿劳动的转变，该地区由于缺乏其他收入来源来资助公共工程，因此诉诸强迫的动机非常高。文章表明，摆脱强迫劳动的运动是由当地条件决定的，农村人口在劳动关系的转变中发挥了至关重要的作用。