President John Dramani Mahama’s administration is being hailed for the impressive performance in its first year in office, with six academics praising the handling of the economy, anti-corruption efforts, fight against illegal mining, institutional reforms, among others.
The academics, whose areas of expertise include governance, economics and political science, commended the government’s achievements in key areas which had initially seemed daunting.
When President Mahama took office in January 2025, the country was grappling with a struggling economy, marked by a 23 per cent inflation rate, a debt crisis that prompted an appeal to the IMF for assistance, and a domestic debt exchange programme that impacted government bond holders, including pensioners.In a recent poll, the respected research firm, Global InfoAnalytics, indicated that the President would obtain at least 62 per cent of votes if he were to be involved in an election a year into his second term.
However, the academics said while the government’s efforts had begun to yield positive results, its real legacy would depend on tangible outcomes rather than just rhetoric and good intentions.
The academics who shared their views with the Daily Graphic are the Project Director of the Democracy Project, Dr John Osae-Kwapong; the Programme Officer of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, Samuel Harrison-Cudjoe; Prof. Rosina K. Foli of the Department of Political Science of the University of Ghana; the Head of Department of Political Science of the University for Development Studies, Dr Gbensuglo Alidu Bukari; an economist at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Ghana, Samuel B. Manu; and a Political Science Lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba, Gilbert Arhinful Aidoo.Dr Osae-Kwapong
Dr Osae-Kwapong said judging from certain key economic indicators, namely inflation, growth, exchange rate, “the government’s performance can be described as very commendable”.
“The government is clearly focused on using the policy tools at its disposal to not only ensure a full economic recovery, but to set it on a path of sustainable growth,” he said.He further lauded the government for putting out a code of conduct document for public officers, saying “it sent a strong signal of a government determined to avoid” pitfalls that could undermine its tenure.
He listed the President’s faith in the Office of the Special Prosecutor as a further positive commitment to the fight against corruption
“In addition, the President’s commitment to the Office of the Special Prosecutor by encouraging two high ranking party officials in Parliament to withdraw a private members’ bill calling for the scrapping of the office reinforced the government’s commitment to the fight against corruption,” Dr Osae-Kwapong stressed.
He said while the fight against galamsey had come with the set up of a taskforce as one of the steps to address the menace and the subsequent repeal of the controversial LI 2462, which allowed mining in forest reserves, occasional reports of ongoing galamsey activities meant that “the fight must continue to occupy the attention and efforts of government”.Dr Osae-Kwapong said the government deserved commendation for efforts at institutional reforms, including for setting up the Constitution Review Committee to help address the fault lines of the 1992 Constitution, adding that it would be instructive to see the support it gives to the recommendations of the committee going forward.
Harrison-Cudjoe
Mr Harrison-Cudjoe said the government’s rhetoric on the anti-corruption front had been strong and largely reassuring.
“Early signals such as instituting the ORAL (Operation Recover All Loot) Committee, renewed emphasis on asset declaration, and the publication of a Code of Conduct for political appointees suggest an appreciation of the demands of Ghanaians in the fight against corruption,” he said.He lauded the government for also leading the development of a National Ethics and Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NEACAP), a document that succeeds the former National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP).
However, he said, there remained room for improvement, particularly in creating separate anti-corruption courts for speedy prosecution of corruption cases and closing accountability gaps in public financial management.
He said the government’s fight against galamsey had shown some promise, although results were uneven.Mr Harrison-Cudjoe cited the formation of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat, the seizure of equipment, reclamation of several forest reserves, formation of river guards, and the repeal of LI 2462 as a frontal confrontation with the menace.
He further praised the President for slashing ministerial portfolios to 60, uncappping funds for education and roads, and instituting a constitution review process.
“Overall, the past year has been promising, but delivery — not intent — will define this administration’s legacy,” he said.Prof. Foli
Prof. Foli said the government’s early performance across corruption control, environmental governance, institutional reform and economic management revealed both opportunities and persistent structural constraints.
In the area of anti-corruption, she said early evidence suggested that longstanding governance challenges remained deeply embedded in the country’s political economy.
She said while analyses indicated that corruption continued to influence fiscal and administrative decisions, it reflected the dependent nature of institutional weaknesses, where reforms required not only political will, but also bureaucratic insulation and credible enforcement mechanisms.She said the fight against galamsey had similarly proven difficult, adding that despite strong public expectations, early commentary from civil society and the media pointed to concerns about the pace and decisiveness of government action.
Prof. Foli said institutional reforms had progressed more gradually, with public opinion rating the government’s performance as generally positive.
Dr Bukari
Dr Bukari said the government led by President Mahama presented a mixed but cautious promise for its first year in office.The Mahama administration, he said, demonstrated a stronger political will on the fight against corruption, through early audits, renewed attention to procurement processes, and rhetoric surrounding asset recovery following the formation of the ORAL Committee.
However, he said, beyond announcements and committee formations, the real test lay in transparent prosecutions, protection of whistle-blowers, and the avoidance of selective justice in the country.
“Sustained credibility of the government performance will largely depend on whether anti-corruption institutions are allowed to operate independently, even when cases implicate politically exposed persons in government and those in opposition,” he said.On the economy, he said the government inherited significant fiscal constraints on January 7, 2025, but the administration’s initial efforts to stabilise the economy, restore investor confidence, and protect social spending had been commendable.
He added that employment, and cost-of-living pressures remained key benchmarks by which the administration would ultimately be judged by Ghanaians in the next election cycle.
Mr Manu said key achievements of the government included fiscal discipline, which had supported national debt management; an appreciating cedi that surpassed analysts’ predictions; a return to single-digit inflation, reflected in the prices of everyday necessities such as imported food and fuel; a deliberate effort to streamline government size, including appointing fewer ministers; and a commitment to completing the constitutional review process that began 15 years ago under President Mills.
“It is, therefore, unsurprising that President John Mahama has recorded very high approval ratings in recent polls,” he said.
Notwithstanding these positives, he said, key socioeconomic and governance challenges remained.
“Unemployment, the high cost of living, and illegal mining continue to be major concerns for Ghanaians, according to the latest IEA Socioeconomic Poll.These are complex issues that will take time to address, and it would be unfair to judge the government solely on them in its first year.
However, failure to take meaningful action in the coming years could erode the high public goodwill the NDC currently enjoys,” he said.
“In short, the NDC government has made a strong start in its first year, delivering tangible economic gains and building public trust.The real test, however, will be sustaining these achievements,” Mr Manu added.
Arhinful Aidoo
Mr Arhinful Aidoo said the government had performed creditably, regarding institutional reforms and economic stabilisation, although its anti-galamsey and anti-corruption drive had been received by the public with significant mixed reactions.
On corruption and galamsey fights, he said public opinion remained cautiously positive, with 60 per cent endorsing government’s performance against corruption and 56 per cent feeling the galamsey situation had not worsened.He praised the government for institutional reforms so far, saying “this area shows the most decisive action”.
“The government has initiated a major reset of the education sector, prioritising foundational learning with historic budgetary allocations, restructuring free senior high school for quality, and clearing inherited arrears,” he said.
Mr Arhinful Aidoo lauded the government for its handling of the economy, saying the settlement of $709 million Eurobond ahead of schedule represented a milestone in restoring fiscal credibility.
