John Dramani Mahama is Ghana’s President
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed surprise at Ghana’s rapid economic recovery, describing it as faster than anticipated.
He recalled that upon assuming office, the economic challenges confronting the country were so severe that he expected it would take at least two years before significant improvements could be recorded.
“When we came into office, the situation was very difficult. I believed it would take about two years to begin seeing a turnaround, but the progress has come much faster than expected,” he said.
Speaking at the First Sky Group’s Thanksgiving Service held at the AICC on Sunday, January 25, 2026, President Mahama noted that the scale and speed of the recovery have exceeded expectations, drawing admiration from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
IMF Africa Director hails Ghana’s gains in power access, living standards
He said officials from both institutions now cite Ghana as an example for other African countries undergoing economic reforms.
“Anytime I meet IMF and World Bank officials, they themselves cannot believe what has happened in Ghana. Ghana has now become the poster boy of the IMF and the World Bank. When they go to other African countries, they say, ‘Don’t you see Ghana? Look at what Ghana has done,’” he said.
President Mahama attributed the gains largely to divine grace, pointing to key indicators such as inflation, which he said declined sharply from 23.8 percent to 5.4 percent within a year.
He also emphasised the cedi’s strong performance, noting that the currency appreciated by about 37 percent over the same period.
“For the first time, our long-suffering Ghanaian currency, the cedi, which has been taking a beating over the years, has appreciated by 37 percent in one year. Dollars have been arrested, they’ve broken jail and all that. For the first time, the Ghanaian cedi has appreciated. It’s only God,” he added.
“In my own imagination, I thought it would take about two years to see an economic turnaround. Today, IMF officials themselves are surprised by Ghana’s progress,” — President @JDMahama, citing the drop in inflation from 23.8% to 5.4% in one year, describing Ghana as a poster boy… pic.twitter.com/tscnaRRw6H
— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) January 25, 2026
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