Mahama's First 100 Days: Ambitious Agenda Meets the Reality of Ghana's Economic Constraints
When John Dramani Mahama was sworn in as President of Ghana on January 7, 2026, he returned to Jubilee House carrying the weight of both history and expectation. Having previously served as president from 2012 to 2017 before losing re-election, Mahama campaigned in 2024 on a platform of economic transformation anchored by the signature promise of a "24-hour economy," a concept that captured the imagination of voters but left economists and policy analysts scrambling to define its practical implications.
One hundred days into his second presidency, the Mahama administration is working to translate campaign rhetoric into governing reality. The early results offer a portrait of an administration moving aggressively on multiple fronts while navigating the persistent fiscal constraints that have defined Ghanaian politics for the better part of a decade.
The 24-hour economy initiative, formally launched under the banner of the National Economic Transformation Programme, has become the organizing principle of the new government's economic policy. In its broadest formulation, the concept envisions an economy in which key services, including manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, and government services, operate around the clock, creating additional shifts of employment and increasing overall economic output.
"Three shifts of eight hours each will produce three times the jobs and three times the output of a single shift," Mahama declared during his first State of the Nation address on February 27. "This is not theory. It is common sense. Countries that have embraced the 24-hour economy model have seen dramatic improvements in productivity and employment. Ghana can and must do the same."
The government has introduced a package of incentives designed to encourage businesses to adopt extended operating hours. These include a 15 percent tax rebate for companies that implement certified multi-shift operations, subsidized electricity tariffs for nighttime industrial use, and grants of up to 500,000 Ghanaian Cedis for small and medium enterprises that create additional night shifts. The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations has also established a 24-Hour Economy Secretariat to coordinate implementation across government agencies.
Early adoption has been concentrated in the manufacturing and services sectors. Several food processing companies in the Tema industrial zone have already introduced second and third shifts, and the government reports that approximately 12,000 new jobs have been created through the initiative in its first three months. The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority has extended operating hours at Tema Port, reducing vessel turnaround times by an average of 18 hours.
Economists have responded to the initiative with a mixture of cautious optimism and skepticism. Dr. Ferdinand Ayim, a senior fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs in Accra, noted that the 24-hour economy concept has merit in theory but faces significant practical obstacles, including security concerns during nighttime operations, inadequate public transportation for night workers, and the upfront costs of retrofitting facilities for continuous operation.
"The idea is not without precedent. Countries like South Korea and Malaysia have successfully implemented elements of the 24-hour economy," Dr. Ayim observed. "But the enabling infrastructure, reliable electricity, and security must be in place first. Ghana has made progress on electricity, but nighttime public safety remains a real concern, particularly for female workers traveling during late hours."
On the fiscal front, the Mahama administration has moved quickly to address Ghana's ongoing debt challenges. The country completed its International Monetary Fund Extended Credit Facility program in February, having drawn down the final tranche of a $3 billion package that was initially agreed upon in 2023. The successful completion of the program, which required Ghana to implement a series of austerity measures and structural reforms, has been hailed as a milestone in the country's economic recovery.
The Ghanaian Cedi, which had experienced severe depreciation in 2022 and 2023, losing approximately 40 percent of its value against the US dollar, has shown signs of stabilization. Since Mahama took office, the Cedi has appreciated by approximately 3.2 percent against the dollar, a modest but psychologically significant reversal. The Bank of Ghana's foreign exchange reserves have increased to $6.8 billion, providing approximately 3.4 months of import cover, up from 2.1 months at the end of 2024.
"We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel," said Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson during a briefing with international investors in London in March. "The painful adjustments of the IMF program are bearing fruit. Our task now is to consolidate these gains and begin investing in growth."
Infrastructure spending has been a central pillar of Mahama's first 100 days. The president has broken ground on several road projects, including the long-delayed Accra-Kumasi Highway expansion, a $480 million project financed through a combination of the government's infrastructure fund and concessional loans from the African Development Bank. The government has also allocated $120 million for the completion of several hospital projects that were stalled under the previous administration.
Cabinet appointments have reflected Mahama's emphasis on experience and continuity. Several ministers from his previous administration have returned to their portfolios, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Hannah Tetteh and Minister of Education Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, who made history as Ghana's first female vice-presidential running mate in the 2024 election. The appointments have been generally well received, though some critics have argued that the return of familiar faces represents a lack of fresh thinking.
"He is governing with the same playbook and many of the same people from his first term," said Gabby Otchere-Darko, a prominent political commentator and legal practitioner. "The challenge for Mahama is to demonstrate that he has learned from the mistakes of his previous presidency, particularly the management of the energy sector and the implementation of infrastructure projects that were marred by cost overruns and delays."
The opposition New Patriotic Party has been sharply critical of the government's early performance, arguing that the 24-hour economy initiative is more marketing than substance and that the administration has been slow to articulate a credible plan for addressing youth unemployment, which remains above 19 percent.
"Ghanaians voted for change, but what they are getting is a rerun," said Nana Akomea, Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party. "The President has made grand promises, but the reality on the ground has not changed for the ordinary Ghanaian. Prices are still high, jobs are still scarce, and the government is still borrowing."
Public opinion polling conducted by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development suggests that Mahama's approval rating stands at approximately 54 percent, a solid but not overwhelming figure for a president in his honeymoon period. The polling indicates strong support for the infrastructure investments and the IMF program completion but more ambivalent attitudes toward the 24-hour economy initiative, with many respondents saying they needed to see more concrete results before forming a judgment.
As the administration moves beyond its first 100 days, the pressure to deliver tangible economic improvements will only intensify. Ghana's debt-to-GDP ratio, while declining, still stands at approximately 72 percent, and debt service payments consume a troubling share of government revenue. The success or failure of the Mahama presidency will ultimately depend not on the ambition of its promises but on the discipline of its execution.
"The first 100 days are about setting direction and building momentum," said Professor Kwesi Jonah, a political scientist at the University of Ghana. "The real test begins now. Can this government maintain its reform momentum while delivering the jobs and services that Ghanaians desperately need? That is the question that will define this presidency."