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The presidency of Nana Akufo-Addo began on 7 January 2017 and ended on 7 January 2025. Following the
2016 Ghanaian general election General elections were held in Ghana on 7 December 2016 to elect a President of Ghana, President and all 275 Members of Parliament of Ghana, Parliament. They had originally been scheduled for 7 November 2016, but the date was later rejected by P ...
s,
Nana Akufo-Addo William Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ( ; born 29 March 1944) is a Ghanaian politician who served as the 13th president of Ghana from January 2017 to January 2025. He previously served as Attorney General of Ghana, Attorney General from 2001 to 20 ...
the flag-bearer of the
New Patriotic Party The New Patriotic Party (NPP; ) is a Centre-right politics, centre-right and Liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative political party in Ghana. Since the democratisation of Ghana in 1992, it has been one of the two dominant parties in Ghanaian ...
, succeeded
John Mahama John Dramani Mahama (; born 29 November 1958) is a Ghanaian politician who has been the 14th president of Ghana since January 2025. A member of the National Democratic Congress (Ghana), National Democratic Congress (NDC), he served as the 12th p ...
as the 13th
president of Ghana The president of the Republic of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana, as well as commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces. The current president of Ghana is John Mahama, who won the 2024 presidential elect ...
and the fifth of the Fourth Republic after winning by a landslide. He won a second term on 9 December 2020 in a tightly contested race against National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate and former president, John Mahama. He focused his campaign on the economy, promising to stabilise the country's foreign exchange rate and to reduce unemployment levels. Akufo-Addo faced a
banking crisis A bank run or run on the bank occurs when many clients withdraw their money from a bank, because they believe the bank may fail in the near future. In other words, it is when, in a fractional-reserve banking system (where banks normally only ...
during his first term. The major policies in his first term were the Free SHS policy, which made access to Senior High school in Ghana free, and the One district, one factory policy. In 2017, he declared an environmental war on illegal
artisanal mining Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is a blanket term for a type of subsistence mining involving a miner who may or may not be officially employed by a List of mining companies, mining company but works independently, mining minerals using the ...
in Ghana. Akufo-Addo's government provided several responses to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
and its impact on Ghana's economy. His foreign policy entailed strengthening ties between Ghana and the African diaspora. This included fostering relations with nations of the Caribbean. Akufo-Addo also ratified the
African Continental Free Trade Area The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a free trade area encompassing most of Africa. It was established in 2018 by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, which has 43 parties and another 11 signatories, making it the large ...
and supported intra-African trade.


2016 general election

Nana Addo first ran for president in
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
and again in
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
, both times as the candidate of the
New Patriotic Party The New Patriotic Party (NPP; ) is a Centre-right politics, centre-right and Liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative political party in Ghana. Since the democratisation of Ghana in 1992, it has been one of the two dominant parties in Ghanaian ...
(NPP). He was however defeated on both occasions by National Democratic Congress' candidates:
John Evans Atta Mills John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills (21 July 1944 – 24 July 2012) was a Ghanaian politician and legal scholar who served as the 11th president of Ghana from 2009 until his death in 2012. He was inaugurated on 7 January 2009, having defeated the govern ...
in 2008 and
John Dramani Mahama John Dramani Mahama (; born 29 November 1958) is a Ghanaian politician who has been the 14th president of Ghana since January 2025. A member of the National Democratic Congress (Ghana), National Democratic Congress (NDC), he served as the 12th p ...
in 2012 after the former's death. Akufo-Addo was chosen once again as the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party during the 2016 general elections. On his third time representing the New Patriotic Party, Akufo-Addo defeated John Dramani Mahama in the first round (winning with 53.85% of the votes), which marked the first time in a Ghanaian presidential election that an opposition candidate won a majority outright in the first round.


Inauguration

Akufo-Addo took office on 7 January 2017. His inauguration was held at
Black Star Square Black Star Square, also known as Independence Square, is a public square in Accra, Ghana, bordered by the Accra Sports Stadium and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. The square often hosts the annual independence celebrations as well as other natio ...
in Accra. Twelve presidents from African and European countries attended the ceremony, including
Edgar Lungu Edgar Chagwa Lungu (11 November 1956 – 5 June 2025) was a Zambian politician who served as the sixth president of Zambia from 26 January 2015 to 24 August 2021. Under President Michael Sata, Lungu served as Minister of Justice and Minister ...
of Zambia,
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian politician and retired military officer who has been serving as the sixth and current president of Egypt since 2014. After the 2011 Egyptian revolution and 201 ...
of Egypt,
Ernest Bai Koroma Ernest Bai Koroma (born 2 October 1953) is a Sierra Leonean politician who served as the fourth President of Sierra Leone from 17 September 2007 to 4 April 2018. Born and raised in Makeni in northern Sierra Leone, Koroma spent more than 24 y ...
of Sierra Leone,
Robert Mugabe Robert Gabriel Mugabe (; ; 21 February 1924 – 6 September 2019) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He served as Leader of th ...
of Zimbabwe,
Muhammadu Buhari Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician who served as the president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. A retired Nigerian army major general, he was the military head of state of Nigeria from 31 December 1983 to 27 Augu ...
of Nigeria. During his inauguration, Akufo-Addo made several promises which included the following: * Protecting the public purse by giving attention to value for money in all transactions. * Promising to make Ghana attractive for business once again. * Pledging to cooperate and promote peace on the African continent as well as political stability and democracy.


Personnel


Ministers


Parliamentary appointments


Domestic affairs


Education

The Free Secondary High School (Free SHS) education policy was introduced in the 2017 September. The policy was a part of the president's presidential campaign during the Ghana's 2016 election period, and has become an essential part of Ghana's educational system.Kyeremanteng, Harriet. (2016). Assessing stakeholder participation in policy formulation and implementation: The case study of the Free Senior High School Policy in Ghana. (PDF). ''The'' ''University of Ghana, Legon'': pp.1-80. Retrieved 15 April 2020, from http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh/bitstream/handle/123456789/30912/ Assessing Stakeholder Participation in Policy Formulation and Implementation- The Case Study of the Free Senior High School Policy in Ghana.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y


Economic impact


= Increase in enrolments since the implementation of the double track system

= Mensah, D. (2019). Teachers’ Perspective on Implementation of the Double Track Senior High School System in Ghana. ''International Journal Of Emerging Trends In Social Sciences'', ''5''(2), 47-56. pp. 47-56. The anticipation for high school students to join career fields in the
public sector The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, pu ...
that necessitate
tertiary education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
, could now be further encouraged. A gap reduction has formed in university graduates who acquire degrees without the achievement of secondary studies. Previously, 70% of high school students that desired government employee positions by the age of 25 was realistically achieved by only 6% of that percentage.Duflo, Esther; Dupas, Pascaline; Kremer, Michael (October 14, 2019). The Impact of Free Secondary Education: Experimental Evidence from Ghana (PDF). ''The American Economic Association'': pp. 1-105. Received 18 April 2020, from https://web.stanford.edu/~pdupas/DDK_GhanaScholarships.pdf Through the policy, the
labour market Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labou ...
has expanded in diverse fields with more educated individuals to progress the nation's development. Studies highlighted that students with higher
economic capital In finance, mainly for financial services firms, economic capital (ecap) is the amount of risk capital, assessed on a realistic basis, which a firm requires to cover the risks that it is running or collecting as a going concern, such as market ...
in comparison to their economically disadvantaged peers are given an abundance of educational opportunities.Akyeampong, K. (2009). Revisiting Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) in Ghana. ''Comparative Education'', ''45''(2), 175-195. Promoting free high school education became an argument that it would fuel Ghana's
economic growth In economics, economic growth is an increase in the quantity and quality of the economic goods and Service (economics), services that a society Production (economics), produces. It can be measured as the increase in the inflation-adjusted Outp ...
.Adu-Ababio, K., & Osei, R.D (2018) : Effects of an education reform on household poverty and inequality: A microsimulation analysis on the free Senior High School policy in Ghana. ''WIDER Working Paper, No. 2018/147, , pp. 1-19. The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER)'' The Free SHS policy widens the eligibility and success rate of these educational opportunities with an aim for the individual to develop into a societal asset.


Political Impact

The policy prioritises student welfare. Thus, it encourages young people to be more politically conscious and engaged with political affairs. It has built voter's confidence for a lot of senior high school students and their families where support for political parties are now reliant on recognised party results and not on party
philosophies List of philosophies, schools of thought and philosophical movements. A Absurdism – Academic skepticism – Accelerationism - Achintya Bheda Abheda – Action, philosophy of – Actual idealism – Actualism – Advaita Vedanta ...
. The non-discriminatory nature of the Free SHS policy has improved political awareness and functionality within Ghana, through its ability to be both a political promise to society and eventually become a successful product of it. It has encouraged citizen understanding and trustworthiness of
tax A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...
ation in the belief that the tax will directly contribute to financing the policy. The Free SHS policy is a testament to modern day democratic politics where an initial intention results in an effective political impact, and where policy and laws are executed in favour of the development of citizens and their society.Asumadu , E. (2019). Challenges and Prospects of the Ghana Free Senior High School (SHS) Policy: The case of SHS in Denkyembour District. pp. 1-25. Retrieved 7 May 2020, from http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh/bitstream/handle/123456789/30956/ Challenges and Prospects of the Ghana Free Senior High School %28SHS%29 Policy The Case of SHS in Denkyembour District..pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y


Social Impact

The policy lifted the financial burden for most parents, who can now be more supportive in their child's academia without feeling dependent on scholarships or private benefits. In aim to afford long term educational costs, lower income households commonly neglect the short term educational costs. Hence tuition payment for parents and guardians was essential obligation and the purchasing of school equipment became secondary needs. The Free SHS policy covers the primary and secondary expenditure that caregivers were burdened to provide despite their economic incapability to do so. Initially most parents would pay for secondary school
tuition Tuition may refer to: *Formal education, education within a structured institutional framework *Tutoring, private academic help *Tuition payments Tuition payments, usually known as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in Commonwealth ...
based on their own ability to understand their child's competency, but are now relieved of the social hindrance of choosing some children over others to be educated.


Economy

In 2019, under the administration of the Akufo-Addo government, Ghana became the fastest growing economy in the world. Also, Ghana's
GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performance o ...
by 2019 was the 9th largest in Africa. In 2018, the president introduced the 7-year Co-ordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies which is expected to create jobs for the country. According to the president, the policies are founded on "five pillars of growth and development, namely revitalizing the economy; transform agriculture and industry; revamping economic and social infrastructure; strengthening social protection and inclusion; and reforming delivery system of public services institutions.


One district, one factory

The one district, one factory was a policy aimed at providing jobs through industrialization. The policy was part of the government manifesto to provide an industry and factory within every district in Ghana. From June to July 2020, the government stated that, across the country 76 factories were in operation. Due to the policy, 28 factories are newly built factories whiles 48 are existing factories under the implementation of expansion and revival.


Ekumfi Fruits & Juices Limited

The industry specializes in the manufacturing of locally made fruit juices from the Ekumfi Abor district in the Central Region of
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
. It forms part of the One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative. The factory has created about 5000 direct jobs in an attempt to alleviate poverty within the community and its neighboring districts and regions. The facility is known to be the biggest  processing factory for fruits in
West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...
, producing approximately 10 tons of fruits per hour.


Health and infrastructure

On January 28, 2020, the president delivered 307 ambulances for the 275 constituencies in Ghana, with one ambulance per constituency. This stems from the presidential campaign promise during the 2016 general elections of the initiative ''one constituency one ambulance''. In 2020, the government partnered with the private sector to build the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre which is Ghana's first infectious disease centre. In January 2020, the country adopted the 112 general emergency number to merge all emergency numbers. The president commenced the construction of the Pokuase Interchange in partnership with the
African Development Bank The African Development Bank Group (AfDB, also known as BAD in French) is a multilateral development finance institution, headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast since September 2014. The AfDB is a financial provider to African governments and ...
. The interchange is Africa's second four level stack interchange and the first in West Africa. The project was initiated as a 3-tier interchange during the Mahama administration but was changed to a 4-tier by the Akufo-Addo government. The implementation of a
paperless A paperless office (or paper-free office) is a work environment in which the use of paper is eliminated or greatly reduced. This is done by converting documents and other papers into digital form, a process known as digitization. Proponents claim ...
port system at Ghana's major ports occurred in September 2017. This new system reduced the time required for clearing goods during
shipping Freight transport, also referred to as freight forwarding, is the physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo. The term shipping originally referred to transport by sea but in American English, it has been ...
from a period of one week to four hours. The
Ghana Revenue Authority The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is the Ghana administration charged with the task of assessing, collecting and accounting for tax revenue in Ghana. As part of efforts to improve compliance, the Authority is required to assist taxpayers to un ...
reported in 2019 that import revenue increased by 3.9% as a result. On 1 June 2020, the paperless system, initially managed by GCNET, was replaced by a new software in the form of the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS). The ICUMS serves as a window through which all documents and payments are processed. The introduction of the new system was met with rejection from some stakeholders such as the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders who questioned its efficacy. The government justified their decision to execute the use of the new management system after statistical data from the GRA in December 2020 revealed that the ICUMS generated GH¢10.5 billion between June and December, 2020, which was higher on a year-on-year comparison with the previous paperless software program in terms of revenue generation.


Environment

Operation Vanguard is a Military Police Joint Task Force (JTF) set up by the president in 2017 to combat the operation of
galamsey Galamsey refers to illegal small-scale gold mining in Ghana. The term is derived from the English phrase "gather them and sell". Historically, galamsey referred to traditional small-scale mining practices in Ghana, where local communities wou ...
in Ghana. Galamseyers are illegal miners and have over the years depleted Ghana's forest cover and water bodies due to the crude and unregulated nature of the mining process. Three Forward Operating Bases were established in the Ashanti,
Eastern Eastern or Easterns may refer to: Transportation Airlines *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 192 ...
and
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
Regions. The JTF is made up of service men and women from the
Ghana Armed Forces The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is the state military organisation of Ghana, consisting of the Army (GA), Navy (GN), and Ghana Air Force. The Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces is the president of Ghana, who is also the supreme military ...
and the
Ghana Police Service The Ghana Police Service (GPS) is the main law enforcement agency of Ghana. The service is under the control of the Ghanaian Ministry of the Interior, and employs over 30,000 officers across its 651 stations. Organisational structure The Ghana P ...
. At the start of the operation, the government placed a six-month ban on all forms of small scale mining in the country. The operation was extended from January 2018 to June 2018 because its intended objectives had not yet been achieved.


Success

In February 2018, over 1,000 illegal miners had been arrested and their equipment seized. Several hundred makeshift accommodations had been destroyed. Successful operations had stopped the pollution of bodies of water, especially at Dokokyina near the
Bui Dam The Bui Dam is a hydroelectric project in Ghana. It is built on the Black Volta river at the ''Bui Gorge'', at the southern end of Bui National Park. The project was a collaboration between the government of Ghana and Sino Hydro, a Chinese sta ...
, as well as the rivers of Birim, Ankobra, and
Offin Offin () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Geography Offin lies about southeast of Montreuil-sur-Mer, on the D130 road, in the valley of the Créquoise river. Population Places of interes ...
.


COVID-19 pandemic

On 11 March 2020, President Nana Akufo-Addo directed the minister of finance,
Ken Ofori-Atta Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta (born 7 November 1958), is a Ghanaian investment banker who served as the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning in the cabinet of Nana Akufo-Addo from 2017 to 2024. He is co-founder of Databank Group, a Ghanaian f ...
, to make the cedi equivalent of
$US The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
100 million available in order to enhance Ghana's coronavirus preparedness and response plan for the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. The president disclosed that the government, through the MoE, planned a relief package for private schools who were affected by COVID-19 induced shutdown of schools. A tax waiver of GHS174 million cedis (equivalent to US$30 million) on income taxes of frontline workers was granted for three months from July to September 2020 and by November 2020, it was extended till the end of the year. Under Akufo Addo's administration, government provided cooked and uncooked food to the vulnerable during the 3-week lockdown. Electricity and water were provided free for the rest of 2020 and for the first three months of 2021. On 19 April 2020, the president announced the easing of the partial lockdown imposed for three weeks. Preventive protocols were still in effect. Stage one of the process of easing restrictions took effect on 5 June 2020. Religious services, funerals, and weddings were allowed with reduced capacity and length.


Coronavirus Alleviation Program

The Coronavirus Alleviation Program Business Support Scheme (CAPBuSS) was launched on 19 May 2020 by President Nana Akufo-Addo. It was formed as part of Ghana's government intention of providing support to MSMEs who were affected by the
COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana The COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first two cases in Ghana were confirmed on 12 March 2020, when two infec ...
. It was presented by an agency under the
Ministry of Trade and Industry A ministry of trade and industry, ministry of commerce, ministry of commerce and industry or variations is a ministry that is concerned with a nation's trade, industry and commerce. Notable examples are: List *Algeria: Ministry of Industry and ...
in Ghana called NBSSI. The president announced GH¢1 billion after it was approved by the
parliament of Ghana The Parliament of Ghana is the unicameral legislature of Ghana. It consists of 276 members, who are elected for four-year terms in single-seat Electoral district, constituencies using a first-past-the-post voting system. History Legislature, L ...
. According to the executive director of NBSSI, more than 21,800 jobs were created under this scheme. These jobs were mainly owned by youths in Ghana. Also, about 110,000 MSMEs in Ghana were said to be owned by women who have benefited from the funds set by the government.


Ghana CARES

On 18 November 2020 the Ghana CARES program was launched by Nana Akufo-Addo. The initiative serves as a 'blueprint' for the recovery of Ghana's economy post COVID-19.


Other initiatives

Under the regime of Akufo-Addo, the government sponsored the Ghana Post GPS, which is the first digital addressing system created in the country. The system provides a digital address as well as
postal codes A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or numerical digit, digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, inclu ...
for every 5 squared meter location in Ghana. In May 2020, Ghana launched the world's first digital financial services policy. Also, the Office of the Special Prosecutor was established in 2017 to make inquiries into
crimes In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...
at the national level. ''Planting for Food and Jobs'' was a program initiated in 2017 on the premise that foods such as maize, rice and sorghum are insufficiently produced in Ghana, leading to losses in potential GDP growth in the country. The program took inspiration from Operation Feed Yourself; an agricultural policy by Ghana's 6th Head of state,
Ignatius Kutu Acheampong Ignatius Kutu Acheampong ( ; 23 September 1931 – 16 June 1979) was a Ghanaian military officer and politician who was the military head of state of Ghana from 13 January 1972 to 5 July 1978, when he was deposed in a palace coup. He was execute ...
. The
2018 Ghanaian new regions referendum A referendum on creating new regions was held in Ghana on 27 December 2018. Voting took place in the 47 districts that would potentially become part of new regions which would be created by splitting four of the existing regions. The proposed spli ...
led to an increase in Ghana's regions from ten to sixteen under the president's administration. The new regions are Oti, Western North,
North East The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each ...
,
Ahafo Ahafo are Akan people who live in Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the we ...
(splitting from Brong),
Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...
and Bono East Regions. The creations of the regions end decades of petitions to the government calling for the development of new regions. The Minerals Income Investment Fund was implemented in 2019 to manage and invest in Ghana's mining royalties.


Foreign affairs

In 2017, president Akufo-Addo approved of Ghana's participation in the
ECOWAS military intervention in the Gambia The ECOWAS military intervention in the Gambia or the ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (abbreviated ECOMIG) – initially code-named Operation Restore Democracy – is an ongoing military intervention in The Gambia by several member states of the ...
. He supported the inauguration of the then president-elect,
Adama Barrow Adama Barrow (, born 15 February 1965) is a The Gambia, Gambian politician and real estate developer who has served as President of The Gambia since 2017. Born in Mankamang Kunda, a village in Jimara district, he attended Crab Island Secondary ...
. On December 29, 2019, the president expressed his desire to adopt the new eco currency as West Africa's single currency. The year of return was formally launched in September 2018 during his visit in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
as a program for Africans in the diaspora to unite with Africans. The year of return boosted
tourism in Ghana Tourism in Ghana is regulated by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture. This ministry is responsible for the development and promotion of tourism related activities in Ghana. Tourist attractions and statistics Tourist arrivals to Ghana ...
with visits from famous celebrities such as
Kofi Kingston Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Kofi ...
,
Steve Harvey Broderick Stephen Harvey Sr. Also aired August 16, 2015. (born January 17, 1957) is an American comedian, television host, actor, writer, and producer. He hosts ''The Steve Harvey Morning Show'', ''Family Feud'', ''Celebrity Family Feud'', '' ...
and
Michael Jai White Michael Jai White (born November 10, 1967) is an American actor, martial artist, and director. Though he has appeared in a variety of genres, White is best known for his Action film, action and martial arts films. His first major starring role an ...
. The Beyond the Return initiative succeed the year of return as a program to foster economic relations and investments between the African diaspora and Ghana as well as Africa. On 18 August 2020, the president commissioned and handed over the headquarters of the ACFTA Secretariat to the AU in
Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...
. President Akufo-Addo had earlier signed the ACFTA, Kigali declaration and Protocol on Free Movement of People on 21 March 2018, at the 2018 Kigali Summit.


Foreign relations with Barbados

As part of a visit by the
prime minister of Barbados The prime minister of Barbados is the head of government of Barbados. The prime minister is appointed by the president under the terms of the Constitution. As the nominal holder of executive authority, the president holds responsibility for c ...
,
Mia Mottley Mia "Ma" Amor Mottley, (born 1 October 1965) is a Barbadian politician and attorney who has served as the eighth prime minister of Barbados since 2018 and as Leader of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) since 2008. Mottley is the first woman to h ...
to Ghana in November 2019, Ghana and Barbados signed two agreements at the
Jubilee House Jubilee House is the presidential palace in Accra that serves as a residence and office to the President of Ghana. Jubilee House is built on the site of a building that was constructed and used for administrative purposes by the British Gold C ...
on 15 November 2015. The memorandum of understanding involved the recruitment of Ghanaian nurses to Barbados and a sister port agreement between Port of Tema and Bridgetown Port.


Foreign relations with Jamaica

President Akufo-Addo held bilateral discussions with
Prime Minister of Jamaica The prime minister of Jamaica () is Jamaica's head of government, currently Andrew Holness. Holness, as leader of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), was sworn in as prime minister on 7 September 2020, having been re-elected as a result ...
,
Andrew Holness Andrew Michael Holness, (born 22 July 1972) is a Jamaican politician who has served as Prime Minister of Jamaica since 3 March 2016, having previously served from 2011 to 2012, and as Leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) since 2011. Ho ...
, in
Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...
where they agreed to reciprocal visa free travel between Ghana and Jamaica in order to improve trade between both countries.


Foreign relations with Mexico

In August 2019, Mexican Foreign Undersecretary Julián Ventura Valero paid a visit to Ghana and met with Foreign Deputy Minister Charles Owiredu. Both nations agreed to establish a Consultation Mechanism on Common Interests. Ghana also declared its intention to re-open an embassy in Mexico City.


Foreign relations with the United States

In 2018, the Government of Ghana initiated a
Status of Forces agreement A status of forces agreement (SOFA) is an agreement between a host country and a foreign nation stationing military forces in that country. SOFAs are often included, along with other types of military agreements, as part of a comprehensive security ...
with the
United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and superv ...
. Several Ghanaian intellectuals such as former president
Jerry Rawlings Jerry John Rawlings (born Jerry Rawlings John; 22 June 194712 November 2020) was a Ghanaian military officer, aviator, and politician who led the country briefly in 1979 and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1993 and then se ...
and MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, opposed the military agreement with concerns that it will obstruct and influence Ghanaian self sovereignty. In April 2018, the president denounced these claims and asserted that the agreement did not include the construction of a future United States military base in Ghana.


Multilateral relations

Akuffo-Addo, who was chairman of
ECOWAS The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as CEDEAO in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of twelve countries of West Africa. Collectively, the present and former members comprise an area ...
, oversaw a diplomatic meeting between the bloc and Mali on 9 January 2022 at Accra, following the forced overthrowal of president
Bah Ndaw Bah Ndaw (also spelled N'Daw, N'Dah, and N'Daou; born 23 August 1950) is a Malian retired military officer and politician who served as the president of Mali between 25 September 2020 and 24 May 2021 when he was overthrown during the 2021 Malia ...
. Mali was suspended from the union over delayal to uphold elections after the
2020 Malian coup d'état On 18 August 2020, elements of the Malian Armed Forces began a mutiny, and subsequently undertook a coup d'état. Soldiers on pick-up trucks stormed the Soundiata military base in the town of Kati, where gunfire was exchanged before weapons w ...
. Guinea was also suspended from the bloc after it fell to a coup within the same year."West African leaders suspend Guinea from Ecowas following coup,"
September 9, 2021,
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
, retrieved September 9, 2021
Sanctions were placed on both countries on 16 September 2021. Akufo-Addo, led an ECOWAS delegation to Conakry to meet with junta leaders on 17 September 2021. On 28 January 2022, ECOWAS announced the suspension of Burkina Faso's membership as a result of the 2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état. During the
Eleventh emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly A plenary meeting of the eleventh emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly opened on 28 February 2022 at the Headquarters of the United Nations, United Nations headquarters. Called by the United Nations Security Council R ...
, Ghana was among the 11 countries on the
Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
who voted in favor of the
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2623 The United Nations Security Council Resolution 2623 called for the eleventh emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly on the subject of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Albania and the United States introduced the resol ...
, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Foreign Minister
Shirley Ayorkor Botchway Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (born 8 February 1963) is a Ghanaian politician, diplomat and lawyer who has served as the seventh secretary-general of the Commonwealth of Nations since 1 April 2025. At the time of her appointment, she was Ghana's Mini ...
had earlier condemned the invasion on 24 February, 2022. Evacuation of Ghanaians stranded in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion commenced within March. The first batch of 17 students arrived on 1 March 2022.


Controversies


Plagiarism of inauguration speech

Nana Akufo-Addo William Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ( ; born 29 March 1944) is a Ghanaian politician who served as the 13th president of Ghana from January 2017 to January 2025. He previously served as Attorney General of Ghana, Attorney General from 2001 to 20 ...
was accused of lifting parts of his inauguration speech from previous addresses given by former US presidents
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
and
George W Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
. This led to a public uproar with some deeming it as an embarrassment to the country and calling for the sacking of the speechwriter or for someone to take responsibility. The director of communication at the presidency subsequently issued an apology. Some public figures also called for Ghanaians to disregard the incident. Akufo-Addo has since referred to the incident in jest at a thanksgiving service he attended.


Breaking of laws by vigilante groups

Vigilante groups loyal to the government known as the Delta Force went on rampage and forcefully ejected the nominee of Ashanti regional security coordinator nominated by the president. The vigilantee group stormed the circuit court in
Kumasi Kumasi is a city and the capital of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It is the second largest city in the country, with a population of 443,981 as of the 2021 census. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region ...
and freed 13 members of their group in custody of the Police.


Re-election

In February 2019, former president
John Mahama John Dramani Mahama (; born 29 November 1958) is a Ghanaian politician who has been the 14th president of Ghana since January 2025. A member of the National Democratic Congress (Ghana), National Democratic Congress (NDC), he served as the 12th p ...
was confirmed as the candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress. In December, incumbent president
Nana Akufo-Addo William Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ( ; born 29 March 1944) is a Ghanaian politician who served as the 13th president of Ghana from January 2017 to January 2025. He previously served as Attorney General of Ghana, Attorney General from 2001 to 20 ...
announced his intentions of contesting for re-election as the
New Patriotic Party The New Patriotic Party (NPP; ) is a Centre-right politics, centre-right and Liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative political party in Ghana. Since the democratisation of Ghana in 1992, it has been one of the two dominant parties in Ghanaian ...
(NPP) candidate. He was chosen as the NPP candidate in June 2020. This was the third time Akufo-Addo and John Mahama contested against each other in a Ghanaian general election. Mahama and Akufo-Addo previously ran against each other in both
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
(with Mahama winning) and
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
(with Akufo-Addo winning). In all, 17 candidates contested for the election. , this is the highest number of presidential candidates in a Ghanaian presidential election. Nana Akufo-Addo won the election in the first round with 51.30% of the votes against Mahama's 47.36%.


Coinciding parliamentary election

As many as 40 NPP MPs lost their primaries. The NDC also won many seats in parliament compared to the preceding election in 2016.


See also

*
Mahamudu Bawumia Mahamudu Bawumia (born 7 October 1963) is a Ghanaian politician and former central banker who served as the seventh vice president of Ghana from 7 January 2017 to 7 January 2025 under President Nana Akufo-Addo. He was the New Patriotic Party (NPP ...


Notes

:1.Cabinet does not include deputy ministers. Article 76(1) of the 1992 Constitution states that, “There shall be a cabinet which shall consist of the President, the Vice President and not less than ten and not more than nineteen Ministers of State”. :2. Sarah Adwoa Safo doubles as Deputy Majority Leader.


References

{{Reflist Akufo-Addo 2017 establishments in Ghana Political history of Ghana Akufo-Addo