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President John Dramani Mahama has leveraged the annual Kwahu Easter festivities to announce a permanent convention center and a new airstrip in the Eastern Region to facilitate international investment. During the 2026 Kwahu Business Forum, the President endorsed the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) for its focus on agribusiness and MSMEs, while calling for a "Ghana-first" banking model that prioritizes local industrial needs over multinational head-office strategies.
Under the Mahama administration, the focus is shifting toward institutionalizing cultural events into economic engines. The proposed infrastructure indicates a long-term commitment to the Eastern Region as a secondary business hub outside Accra.
The Kwahu Easter celebration is traditionally a massive homecoming and tourism event. In recent years, the government has attempted to "business-ify" the festivities to move beyond mere revelry toward high-level policy dialogue.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa concluded a state visit to Ghana, focusing on waste management technology. A landmark MoU was signed between Ghana’s Zoomlion and Zimbabwe’s Geo Pomona Waste Management following a tour of the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP), highlighting a growing trend of intra-African technology transfer.
The implementation of the circular economy MoU could serve as a blueprint for other African nations seeking to solve sanitation challenges through localized, private-sector partnerships.
The Bank of Ghana (BoG) revealed it realized a profit of $1.3 billion USD by selling 51% of its gold holdings in late 2025 to mitigate concentration risks. With inflation falling from 23.8% to 5.4% by December 2025, Governor Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama is pushing for lending rates—currently above 30%—to drop below 10%. Meanwhile, the Cedi remains relatively stable, trading at approximately GHc10.99-11.01 (~$1.00 USD) on the interbank market.
Lower interest rates are critical for SMEs that currently face a credit environment where total business allocation is only 8% of GDP, compared to 30% in Kenya.
Despite low subscription in recent T-bill auctions (failing to meet a GHc4.63 billion (~$420.9 million USD) target), high global gold prices are expected to drive export receipts to $23.7 billion USD in 2026, providing a strong cushion for the currency.
The government is preparing to take over the Damang Mine, which holds 3.55 million ounces of gold valued at ~$2.3 billion USD, after denying a lease renewal to Abosso Gold Fields. Simultaneously, Gold Board CEO Sammy Gyamfi announced a "traceability push" to ensure every gram of gold is responsibly sourced, warning that any buyer operating outside licensed channels faces criminal prosecution.
This move toward "resource nationalism" aims to retain more wealth within Ghana. If successful, it could stabilize the national budget and improve the value of the Cedi, directly impacting the cost of living for family members back home.
The Ministry of Trade successfully halted a planned increase in sachet water prices, which was set to jump to GHc10-15 (~$0.91-$1.36 USD) per bag. Additionally, officials are intervening to release 59 trucks of onions currently stranded in Nigeria due to a trade dispute at the Adjen Kotoku market; each truck carries cargo valued at approximately GHc500,000 (~$45,455 USD).
These interventions are direct attempts to manage the cost-of-living crisis. Sachet water is a primary drinking source for millions of Ghanaians.
An Accra Circuit Court has remanded two suspects for a GHc2 million (~$181,818 USD) heist at Berma Jewellery Shop. In a separate success, Ashanti Region police recovered a stolen 2019 Honda CR-V within 48 hours of its theft in Kumasi. However, violence persists in other areas, such as an attack by land guards at an Easter church convention in Nyanyano and a factional clash at the Adjen Kotoku Onion Market.
The increasing use of "land guards" (private, often armed, groups used in land disputes) in public spaces like markets and churches is forcing the police to reconsider their rapid response strategies in the Greater Accra and Central Regions.
Five people died and 20 were injured in a tragic weekend on Ghana's roads. A collision on the Kintampo-Tamale Highway claimed four lives, while a motorcycle crash on the Gomoa Fetteh stretch killed one person. The Kintampo incident occurred less than 24 hours after another fatal crash in the same area.
The Kintampo-Tamale Highway is a notorious "hotspot" for accidents due to its status as a major transit route for heavy trucks and buses traveling to northern Ghana and the Sahel. Safety measures on this stretch remain a frequent point of public outcry.
Ghana international Antoine Semenyo expressed his desire for more silverware after Manchester City thrashed Liverpool 4-0 to reach the FA Cup semi-finals; Semenyo has already netted eight goals for the Cityzens. Meanwhile, Mohammed Kudus is nearing an injury return at Tottenham Hotspur, where analysts believe he will be a "perfect fit" for Roberto De Zerbi’s tactical style.
Black Stars context: The strong form of Semenyo and the return of Kudus are bright spots as the GFA continues to debate the head coach vacancy following Otto Addo’s dismissal, with names like Kwesi Appiah and Pitso Mosimane being discussed.
Matchday 28 of the Ghana Premier League saw a significant disruption as heavy rains at the Baba Yara Stadium forced the postponement of the Asante Kotoko vs. Samartex match at halftime (0-0). The second half is rescheduled for April 7 at 9:00 am. Elsewhere, Berekum Chelsea secured a 1-0 win over Aduana FC in the Bono derby.
Ghanaian boxer Freezy Macbones secured a lightning-fast victory over Nigeria’s Jamiu Animashaun, ending the bout in just 57 seconds. The emphatic win has boosted Macbones' profile as fans call for him to take on higher-ranked international opponents.
NASA astronaut Christina Koch is set to participate in the historic Artemis II lunar flyby. Koch, who was once an exchange student at the University of Ghana, Legon, credits her time in Ghana with shaping her professional perspective. The mission marks the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years.
Koch’s ties to Legon provide a powerful narrative of Ghana’s contribution to global academic excellence and its indirect participation in the next frontier of human space exploration.
Today we covered the Bank of Ghana's ambitious goal for single-digit interest rates, the urgent public health alert regarding counterfeit HIV test kits, and the landmark state takeover of the Damang Mine. Thank you for reading the Ghana News AI Daily Brief!
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