In celebration of the legacy of President Nana Akufo-Addo (former President of the Republic of Ghana, 2017-2025) on the 1st Anniversary of his leaving office.
6 January 2026 marks exactly one year since His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo left office as President of the Republic of Ghana.
He left office, handing over in a statesmanlike manner to Ghana’s only comeback President, His Excellency John Mahama.
Over the past weekend, a good number of leading traditional and social media outlets did a review of the year that ended. In all of that, several plaudits went to the current government, which is deserved given the year-end results.
One thing, however, stood out in all of the analysis for me: the foundation for the new government was not sinking sand as of 7 January 2025.
The Akufo-Addo – Bawumia government was seemingly at its lowest ebb in the embers of its tenure. This was due to the immediate harsh consequences of the tough decisions, for which the benefits thereof, for the country, were remote and to be manifested long after the government’s exit.
Unfortunately, the unfortunate turn clouded the many successes chalked and were being chalked, before Election 2024. The cumulative effect of the successes of the erstwhile government formed the foundation upon which the current government built its 1st year success stories, to a large extent.
Permit me to, briefly, take you through some of the gains of the Akufo-Addo-led NPP government, whose rippling effects are evident in the current government:
- The Free SHS Policy is one of our most underrated blessings, as a country. This policy brought a paradigm shift in our education system as a whole. Today, the least qualification the majority of ordinary Ghanaians between the ages 18 – 25 years possess is a WASSCE certificate. Today, the crusaders of ‘Progressive Free SHS’ have cause to speak of their gains made in the Free SHS policy without any prefix adjectives. Due to this solid foundation, today the current government can claim their initiatives at the tertiary level of education are far-reaching and impacting many……. Definitely, as many were able to progress to the secondary level.
- Shoring up gold reserves and backing our economy with our resources. I watched the GoldBod CEO, my learned senior, Sammy Gyamfi, tout how much the Gold for Reserve program has significantly contributed to the stabilisation of the economy, an assertion was debunked by the learned senior, Kofi Bentil to the extent of the degree of contribution. We saw the current President, the Finance Minister and the Governor serve in the first administration of President Mahama. If they had considered implementing such a policy, we would have heard. Thankfully, His Excellency Dr. Bawumia as Vice President together with Governor Addison, under the auspices of His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo, rolled out the Gold Purchase program in 2021, which formed the basis of the work of the now GoldBod. Solid Foundation! In this vein, let me state that save the pumping of dollars and stifled disbursements/ expenditure/ releases, the economic gains today are, to a large extent, as a result of the good and some harsh policy decisions and actions of the Akufo-Addo government.
- As of January, 2025, Ghana’s road infrastructure had improved significantly from as it was in January, 2017. In fact, it is important to acknowledge the effort of the Nana Addo government in not only thinking, but starting work, to give facelifts to all the major roads which lead outside the nation’s capital – Tema-Akuse, Tema-Prampram, Adenta-Dodowa, Pokuase-Nsawam and Kasoa-Winneba. Beyond these I speak of the completion of road rehabilitation and construction across the country including Accra (East Legon Boundary Road/ Tunnel expansion, East Legon-East Airport Motorway Flyover, Tema Interchange, Tema town roads, Adjiriganor-School Junction-Borteyman Roundabout, School Junction to Lakeside Junction thro’ East Legon Hills, Ashiyie-Sucasa-Katamanso, many town roads overlay), Ashanti (Town roads in Juaben, Effiduase, Bekwai, Ayeduase New Site, Atonsu Dompoase, etc, Atonsu-Esreso Dual Carriage, Ejisu-Juaben, Ejisu Junction expansion, remodelling of the roundabouts at Anwomaso, Oduom and Tech Police Stations, Adansi Dompoase to Assin Fosu, projects underway including Suame Interchange, By-pass at Konongo among others), Volta (Eastern Corridor Roads, Town Roads including Ho and Hohoe, dualization of Sokode-Ho) and Eastern (Koforidua Town Roads, Kyebi Town Roads, Apedwa to Linda Dor, ongoing projects such as Osino By Pass, Anyinam By-Pass, among others). I am tempted to hold my guns here as I seek to not do more than 2 pages for this eulogy. This is a solid foundation which is easing movement of goods and people across the country.
- The infrastructure of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government (MDAs) were improved under the government of President Nana Akufo-Addo significantly. Between 2017-2024, we witnessed the construction of the office complexes for Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Annex, Ministry of Gender and Social Protection, Ministry of Communications, BOST, Foreign Service Institute, Offices of the Heads of Local Government and the Civil Service respectively, NPA Head Office Annex, Africa Trade House (housing AfCFTA, Ghana Exim Bank and GEPA), GOIL Head Office, Ghana Maritime Authority building, GETFund Head Office (now housing the OSP), RCC buildings for the new regions and offices for some MMDAs. Some facilities underwent major upgrades, such as the Ministry of Finance and Kwame Nkrumah Park (now offering night tours as part of a 24-hour economy). These infrastructure projects have significantly reduced rent and other overhead costs, enhanced the aesthetics of our capital, given dignity to the public sector, created space for some of these entities to employ more than 100 people, and accommodated them.
- In the area of health, the boldest health intervention was taken with the initiative to build 111 new, not upgraded, hospitals across the country. Now this is about our current health system and the addition of 111 more. That definitely will change a lot. Further, the aged Euroget hospitals, including Twifo Praso and Fomena, were not only completed but operationalized; the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital saw the return of contractors to the 508-bed Mother and Baby Unit, among others across the country. That bilateral Agreement with Barbados for the export of nurses didn’t just take off some of the nurse employment pressure but saved a country, much like how the excellent management of COVID-19, by the same Akufo-Addo-led government, saved the country.
Above is only a fraction of the solid foundation laid by the erstwhile NPP government under the leadership of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. I just realised I’m a few lines beyond two pages.
Maybe next year we can continue. Yes, there were a few lows of the government, some of which stung so deeply. However, some of our highs today are as a result of those lows. Looking at it through a logical lens, the Akufo-Addo–Bawumia government laid a solid foundation, like that held firmly by the biblical Cedars of Babylon.
My deepest prayer is that Ghanaians come to appreciate the solid and immense work done between 2017 and 2024, over the failings and consequences of the tough decisions that had to be taken. Thank you, Mr President and your team.
The President of Ghana Indeed Had……. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, aka Addo Showboy, aka Addo Dee, aka Akyem Billy, among other monikers. To get the real-time razzmatazz, you may play Daddy Lumba’s Nana Yɛ Winner.
