SONA 2025: Resetting A Nation At A Crossroad

By Prof. Samuel Lartey

Introduction

On February 27, 2025, President John Dramani Mahama stood before the 9th Parliament of Ghana to deliver a State of the Nation Address (SONA) unlike any before it. His words resonated not just as a routine constitutional obligation but as a declaration of urgency, a mandate to rebuild a nation at an economic and governance crossroads.

“The state of our nation is not good,” he admitted, pulling no punches about the crisis confronting Ghana. Yet, instead of lamentation, the President struck a tone of resolve: “I, John Dramani Mahama, will fix the economic crisis confronting our country and reset it on a path of growth and prosperity.”

With this bold commitment, the President unveiled a roadmap that promised economic revival, financial discipline, and systemic restructuring. But can his administration, with its self-imposed lean government structure and fiscal prudence, deliver on these ambitious promises? More importantly, what role must the critical stakeholders—the government, public institutions, private enterprises, and citizens—play in facilitating this national reset?

The Promises: A Blueprint for Renewal

At the core of President Mahama’s SONA was a vision to “reset Ghana.” His government’s key promises included:

1. Economic Recovery and Fiscal Discipline

• Reduction of government size to 60 ministers and deputies, including regional ministers.

• Reduction of government expenditure, prioritizing fiscal consolidation and debt sustainability.

• Strengthening of revenue collection by widening the tax net and rationalising tax waivers.

2. Debt Management and IMF Commitments

• Ghana’s total public debt stands at GHS 721 billion, with state-owned enterprises like ECG owing GHS 68 billion and COCOBOD GHS 32.5 billion.

• The government has honored a matured GHS 6.081 billion coupon payment under the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

• The administration is actively negotiating with the IMF to finalize the fourth review of Ghana’s bailout program, scheduled for April 2–15, 2025.

3. Job Creation and Youth Empowerment

• The 24-Hour Economy Initiative, aimed at stimulating productivity and employment.

• Adwumawura Programme, targeting 2,000 startups with business development training and funding.

• National Apprenticeship Programme, to equip 10,000 young people with technical skills.

4. Agriculture and Food Security

• Nkoko Nkitinkiti Project, designed to support 55,000 households in poultry and egg production, reducing Ghana’s $300 million poultry import bill.

• The Feed Ghana Programme, to boost rice, maize, and soybean production.

5. Energy Security and Power Sector Reform

• Reduction of US$2.2 billion energy sector financing shortfalls through structural reforms.

• Implementation of private-sector participation in metering and billing systems to curb ECG’s 45% revenue loss.

• Shift to 100% gas utilization for power production, reducing dependency on expensive crude oil imports.

6. Education and Free SHS Reform

• Restoration of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) to enhance community engagement in schools.

• No-Fee Tertiary Admission Policy to eliminate financial barriers to university enrollment.

• Acceleration of school infrastructure projects to eliminate the double-track system.

7. Healthcare and Social Protection

• Free Primary Healthcare Programme, ensuring universal access to basic medical services.

• Establishment of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCare) to finance treatment for non-communicable diseases.

• Revival of ONUADOR Mobile Healthcare Vans to reach remote communities.

8. Corruption and Governance Reforms

• Establishment of an anti-corruption unit at the presidency to process and forward corruption complaints to the Attorney General.

• Expansion of the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative, which has already received 2,000 complaints of financial mismanagement.

• Prosecution of individuals involved in financial malfeasance, including the National Service ghost names scandal (costing GHS 50 million monthly).

The Capacity to Execute: Can the Government Deliver

President Mahama’s commitment to a lean and accountable government is an encouraging shift from the bloated bureaucracies of the past. However, executing these promises requires three fundamental enablers: strong institutional reforms, resource mobilization, and stakeholder participation.

1. Strengthening Institutions and Public Sector Reforms

• The government’s pledge to cut wasteful spending must be backed by an efficient civil service.

• The restructuring of COCOBOD, ECG, and SOEs is crucial to preventing further fiscal hemorrhage.

• Anti-corruption agencies must be empowered with prosecutorial authority to tackle financial crimes effectively.

2. Resource Mobilization and Sustainable Funding

• Reintroduction of tolls and expansion of the tax net will increase government revenue.

• Strengthening the Ghana Road Fund will ensure critical infrastructure development.

• Partnerships with development finance institutions will be key in funding Ghana’s $10 billion Big Push Initiative.

3. Stakeholder Participation: The Role of Government, Private Sector, and Citizens

• Government Agencies: Must improve service delivery, enhance accountability, and enforce strict financial regulations.

• Public Sector: Must be restructured to increase efficiency and eliminate redundancy.

• Private Sector: Must drive economic transformation through investment in agriculture, energy, and digitalization.

• Citizens: Must actively engage in governance, demand transparency, and embrace the “reset mindset” through productivity and compliance with tax obligations.

Resetting Ghana’s Socioeconomic and Political Economy

To successfully reset Ghana, the government must focus on five key pillars:

1. Fiscal Prudence & Economic Growth

• Implement homegrown fiscal consolidation strategies to complement the IMF bailout.

• Focus on agro-industrialization and renewable energy to stimulate economic expansion.

2. Infrastructure Development & Job Creation

• The Big Push Initiative must focus on roads, railways, and ICT infrastructure to create direct and indirect jobs.

• The Adwumawura Programme must be expanded to absorb more entrepreneurs.

3. Energy Security & Industrialization

• Reduction of commercial and technical losses in ECG to ensure affordable electricity tariffs.

• Investment in solar energy and lithium production to boost the renewable energy transition.

4. Human Capital Development

• Strengthen STEM education and vocational training to create a skilled workforce.

• Reform the Student Loan Scheme to ensure accessible tertiary education financing.

5. Governance & Transparency

• Institutional reforms in the judiciary to restore public trust.

• Strict enforcement of the Public Financial Management Act to curb corruption.

Conclusion:

President Mahama’s State of the Nation Address was not just a diagnosis of Ghana’s economic distress; it was a battle cry for renewal. His promises are bold, and the roadmap is ambitious, but execution will demand unwavering political will, economic discipline, and collective responsibility from all stakeholders.

The reset Ghana needs will not come from government alone. It is a shared responsibility of the state, the private sector, and the citizenry. If Ghana is to rise from the depths of economic hardship, every institution must function efficiently, every entrepreneur must innovate, and every citizen must contribute. The time for rhetoric is over. The time for action is now. The task is daunting, but the path is clear. Together, Ghana must reset, rebuild, and rise again.