Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has met with heads of the International Monetary Fund’s country and regional offices in Africa to share Ghana’s economic story at a time when global attention is focused on debt and development financing.
The engagement, held on January 20, gave her the chance to highlight signs of improvement in Ghana’s macroeconomic outlook and place the country’s recovery in the wider context of economic changes unfolding across Africa and the global economy.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang noted that Ghana’s economic reality today differed markedly from that of the recent past, citing key improvements including single-digit inflation, a more stable cedi, and stronger real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.
She emphasised that the gains were tangible and being felt across the economy, rather than remaining abstract macroeconomic indicators.
The Vice President said Ghana was entering a new phase with cautious optimism and resolve, underpinned by reforms that were nationally owned and supported rather than dictated by the IMF, and sustained by the country’s willingness to take difficult but necessary policy decisions.
She acknowledged the continued relevance of international financial institutions on the African continent, while observing that recent global and regional developments increasingly demonstrated Africa’s readiness to do more on her own.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang stressed that this growing self-confidence did not diminish the value of partnerships but rather underscored the need for cooperation that was mutually beneficial and responsive to Africa’s development priorities.
Reaffirming the position of President John Dramani Mahama, the Vice President said Ghana’s relationship with the IMF must evolve beyond emergency support arrangements.
She noted that while Africa continued to grapple with structural challenges such as high borrowing costs, the continent also possessed significant opportunities, including the transformative potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
She said Ghana remained committed to pursuing self-reliance, supported by coordinated, fair, and development-oriented international cooperation.