In assessing President Akuffo Addo’s tenure as it comes to an end, it’s essential to remain as impartial and fair as possible to avoid the trap of ‘hating for the moment’—a situation where a leader is disliked due to current challenges economic or otherwise, only to be later appreciated for their long-term achievements. A clear example of this is Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. When he was illegally removed from office in a coup, many celebrated, blaming him for the economic hardship of the time. However, history has proven that Nkrumah’s vision for Ghana and Africa was unparalleled, and his removal set the continent a century back. We now recognize that celebrating his ouster was a mistake, as it halted progress and denied the continent a transformative figure. This article will attempt to avoid a similar trap in assessing Akuffo Addo’s presidency.
For both supporters and critics, Akuffo Addo’s presidency initially sparked great enthusiasm and high expectations. Having been involved in politics for some time, his fluency in English added to his appeal as a highly educated leader capable of delivering positive change, seen to have understanding of the Whiteman’s systems since he was a master of their language. The expectations were enormous.
During the campaign, Akuffo Addo’s group (NPP-New Patriotic Party) capitalized on the promises made by President Mahama, who focused on infrastructure development and welfare later. However, the NPP’s vice-presidential candidate then famously remarked that “people don’t eat infrastructure,” a statement that, while politically opportunistic, even for a PhD economist revealed a lack of understanding of the broader role infrastructure plays in development. While Mahama’s investment in infrastructure could be critiqued—particularly from the ACUP’s (African Continental Unity Party) perspective, which emphasizes local construction of infrastructure and capacity-building—it still represented a commitment to some development, something Akuffo Addo’s government had no plan for to deliver.
Akuffo Addo’s NPP, without original African thought and analysis of the situation and modeling itself after Western political parties such as the U.S. Republican Party positions itself as a private property-owning entity, whatever that means in our African society. The party boasted of having the right people (Men and Women) to manage the economy effectively. Indeed, an economic management team was established, led by the vice president, who is now the NPP’s presidential candidate. But how well has Akuffo Addo performed? We will assess his presidency across several areas: Vision, Economy, Social Transformation, Foreign Policy, Pan-African Policy, and Personality.
Vision
It is difficult to argue that Akuffo Addo was a visionary when he took office. He never outlined a grand vision for the nation beyond the usual rhetoric of improving the lives of the people. In stark contrast to Nkrumah, who laid out a clear blueprint for a modern Ghana and the liberation of Africa during his 1957 independence speech, Akuffo Addo’s inaugural address was a direct copy of a U.S. president’s speech. This lack of originality and foresight set a worrying tone for his presidency.
One notable slogan during his tenure was “Ghana Beyond Aid,” a laudable idea, but one that was never backed by concrete action. There was no attempt to reduce the size of government or cut administrative costs to redirect savings towards investment in the country’s future. Instead, the president engaged in extravagances, such as abandoning the country’s private jet in favor of renting more expensive planes for his visits to European nations, which he termed official state business.
Economy
One of Akuffo Addo’s flagship program, One District, One Factory (1D1F), was promoted as a transformative initiative to turn Ghana into a manufacturing hub. For the country’s 261 districts, this promised 261 factories. However, if the program had succeeded, one would expect to see a significant reduction in the country’s import bill between 2017, when Akuffo Addo took office, and 2024. In reality, Ghana’s import bill increased from $20.60 billion in 2017 to $26.33 billion in 2023, according to macrotrends.com, indicating no visible industrialization.
While exports also increased from $17.52 billion in 2017 to $25.74 billion in 2023, it is crucial to note that the bulk of these exports are controlled by foreign companies and offer little benefit to the majority of Ghanaians. For instance, gold bullion accounts for 45.2% of all exports, oil and gas for 23.6%, while cocoa beans—a sector in which many Ghanaians are involved—comprises only 6.5% of exports (Graphic Business).
The structure of Ghana’s economy remains largely colonial, dependent on foreign exploitation. Akuffo Addo acknowledged this at the start of his term, noting that Ghanaians were excluded from the main drivers of their economy. However, he did nothing to change this, and instead, he has been celebrated by European nations, likely for maintaining the status quo.
Under his leadership, the Ghanaian cedi depreciated by over 300%, and inflation soared to over 50%. His economic legacy is one of increased hardship, with no revolutionary changes to the country’s economic structure.
Social Transformation
Akuffo Addo’s flagship program in this area was free education. Education is undeniably important and should be available to all. However, when Akuffo Addo took office, Ghana’s literacy rate was already 76.6% (World Bank). For anyone familiar with development, this is a sufficient base from which to drive economic transformation. What was needed was not more quantity but a focus on improving the quality of education, especially in science, technology, and innovation.
Instead of investing in these critical areas, the president’s free education policy was largely populist, aimed at winning favor rather than transforming society. This is further evidenced by the continued brain drain, with young, educated Ghanaians leaving the country for greener pastures—a massive loss of talent for a nation that needs them to build its future. Additionally, despite a promise to build 111 hospitals, only 11 have been delivered so far.
Foreign Policy
Unlike Nkrumah, whose foreign policy was tailored to African interests, Akuffo Addo’s foreign policy is difficult to define. His government has often appeared to align with Western powers, failing to represent the interests of Ghana and Africa on the global stage. Ghana’s stance on Israel’s aggression against Palestinians and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which was provoked by U.S. actions, reveals a foreign policy that lacks independence.
Akuffo Addo’s frequent visits to European nations have yielded little benefit for Ghana, especially as the country’s economic structure remains unchanged. Moreover, his actions at the 2022 U.S.-Africa Summit in Washington, where he openly criticized Burkina Faso before the U.S. Secretary of State, were seen as a major diplomatic blunder, undermining his standing among Africans who once saw him as a symbol of hope.
Pan-African Policy
The president scored a significant victory by bringing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat to Ghana. However, even here, he leaned heavily on Nkrumah’s legacy, often invoking Ghana’s historical leadership in Pan-Africanism. This was a legacy Akuffo Addo’s ancestors opposed, and he has done little to further the cause beyond this achievement.
Another notable success was the “Year of Return” initiative, which invited the African diaspora to reconnect with Ghana. However, the potential of the diaspora, which contributes $100 billion in inflows to Africa annually, remains untapped. The ACUP recognizes this as a critical oversight, one that it plans to correct by putting the diaspora at the forefront of Africa’s development.
Personality
Whether Akuffo Addo was a likable leader is a question best left to the reader’s judgment. The Writer is aware of what many have called being prettyish, a term that has been used on the president due to his incessant attacks on Kwame Nkrumah’s legacy and attempts to revise the country’s history in favour of his ancestors who contributed but very little, in his desire to find an equal place from them in the nation’s and continent’s history.
Legacy
Every generation faces its own unique challenges. For Nkrumah, the challenge of his time was achieving independence for Ghana and the broader African continent while laying the foundation for an industrial base that would transform the country into a modern economy. It is hard to argue that Nkrumah fell short in fulfilling the mission of his generation—if anything, he surpassed it.
The African Continental Unity Party (ACUP) has identified the mission of our generation as being, the full regaining of our already compromised independence and the rapid economic reconstruction of the African continent. This is a mission from which we will not be swayed, regardless of the frequently cited “rule of law” and “democratic achievements” within the neocolonial systems that personalities like President Akuffo Addo cling to, despite these systems offering little benefit to the masses.
It cannot be said that President Akuffo Addo has succeeded in addressing the mission of his generation. In fact, it is clear that the president neither aligns with the aspirations of this generation nor has he even identified its core mission. Throughout his tenure, he has engaged in scattered, piecemeal efforts—building a road here, an interchange there, a hospital somewhere, and judicial buildings in various locations. This reflects a lack of vision and understanding of what must be achieved in this era. As the saying goes, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
Based on this analysis, it is difficult to foresee any lasting legacy that President Akuffo Addo will leave behind. Unlike Nkrumah, whose achievements continue to inspire many Africans globally 60 years later, Akuffo Addo is likely to be remembered as just another president in Ghana’s history—if not a mediocre one and without any achievements on the African and international stage.
He and his group did not Understand the Mission of this Generation.
Kwame Gonza
ACUP (African Continental Unity Party)
