Mahama must outline his long-term economic transformation roadmap to Ghanaians – Prof Stephen Adei

Former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Stephen Adei, has urged President John Mahama to outline a clear long-term economic transformation roadmap, warning that the country must not settle for economic stability without a plan for sustained development.

He said although it would be unfair to judge a government less than two years into its term on the transformation of the economy, President Mahama should now set out his vision for Ghana’s future beyond the current stabilisation efforts.

“It will be unfair to judge a government less than two years old when it comes to transformation of the economy, but President Mahama should now tell the Ghanaians his envisaged roadmap, not because we will allow him for a second term, but at least he should leave us with a roadmap of stability, and I think that it can be one of his biggest legacies,” he said.

Prof Adei was speaking at the 37th CIMG Annual National Marketing Performance Awards at the Labadi Beach Hotel on Saturday, October 17, 2026, under the theme, “Brand Ghana Reimagined: Trust, Innovation and Growth in the AI Economy.”

He said the foundations laid during the government’s first two years should be used to drive broader economic transformation rather than be lost through a return to the economic difficulties Ghana has experienced in the past.

Prof Adei also expressed concern about the possibility of fiscal pressures building up ahead of the 2028 general elections, noting that Ghana had historically experienced increased government spending during election years.

He said the country needed to avoid a repeat of that pattern to protect the progress made in stabilising the economy.

“We hope that history will not repeat itself, and it will be one of the president’s legacies not to allow it to happen,” he said.

However, he identified several factors that could help limit election-year fiscal pressures, including Ghana’s participation in the International Monetary Fund’s 36-month Policy Coordination Instrument, the government’s reserve accumulation policy and the debt restructuring completed in 2024 and 2025.

According to him, the IMF arrangement could help keep fiscal performance under regular review, while stronger reserves could provide a buffer against economic pressures.

He added that the debt restructuring had extended debt maturities, reducing the government’s immediate financing pressures.

Prof Adei expressed hope that these measures would help Ghana achieve a more stable economic environment during the 2028 election year than in previous election cycles.

He also called for a long-term national development plan, referring to a 40-year development framework on which he said he had worked with his predecessor as chairpersons of the National Development Planning Commission.

“I’m waiting for the 40-year plan, which is now about 35 left, which my predecessor and myself worked on as chairpersons of the National Development Planning Commission,” he said.

He described the current period as an opportunity to establish a lasting direction for Ghana’s development and urged the government to ensure that the gains from economic stabilisation were not squandered.

“History will not forgive it if we again go into another crisis. Let us truly reset the agenda, and it is possible,” he added.