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President John Dramani Mahama has been elected as the First Vice Chairperson of the African Union (AU) for 2026, serving alongside the new Chairperson, President Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi. During the 39th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, President Mahama announced a landmark resolution to be presented to the UN General Assembly in March 2025, seeking to classify the Transatlantic Slave Trade as a crime against humanity. Domestically, the administration is pushing the 'Accra Reset Initiative' to reform global health architecture and trade through the AfCFTA framework.
President Mahama’s dual role as Ghana’s leader and an AU executive provides a strategic platform to influence continental trade and security policy, potentially giving Ghana a lead in the 'Year of Justice for Africans through Reparations.'
President Mahama, who took office on January 7, 2025, has prioritized 'economic sovereignty,' including a pledge to end foreign cocoa financing by 2030 and halt the export of raw mineral ores.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has delivered a stinging assessment of the Mahama administration’s first year, labeling it a period of 'no real impact' for cocoa farmers and contractors. The Minority is specifically demanding the resignation of Lands Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah following a controversial lithium mining agreement that was withdrawn under public pressure. Simultaneously, NDC General Secretary Fifi Fiavi Kwetey announced new internal reforms, including a rule requiring government appointees to resign six months before contesting party elections to decentralize power.
The legislative friction regarding the 24-Hour Economy Authority Bill and mining agreements suggests the administration will face significant hurdles in passing key structural reforms in the current parliament.
In a historic move, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) announced that executive management salaries will be slashed by 20% and senior staff by 10%, effective February 16, 2026. This austerity measure follows the government’s decision to lower the cocoa producer price to GH¢41,392 (~$3,762 USD) per tonne due to falling global market rates. Management described the move as a 'shared sacrifice' necessary to prevent the total financial collapse of the board, which is currently struggling to pay farmers and maintain infrastructure.
The cocoa sector is the backbone of Ghana's rural economy. Falling prices and liquidity issues at COCOBOD directly impact the livelihoods of millions and the stability of the Cedi.
Lower cocoa prices may lead to increased requests for financial support from family members in cocoa-growing regions. At the current exchange rate (1 USD = GH¢11), your remittances carry high purchasing power for families navigating this income dip.
Monitor COCOBOD's plan to move toward domestic Cedi-denominated bonds by 2030. This shift away from international cocoa syndication could fundamentally change Ghana's foreign exchange landscape.
The Government of Ghana raised GH¢8.99 billion (~$817 million USD) in its latest Treasury Bill auction, shattering its initial target of GH¢6.415 billion (~$583 million USD). Investor bids reached GH¢22.67 billion (~$2.06 billion USD), signaling high liquidity in the domestic market. Weighted average discount rates remained competitive, with the 91-day bill at 8.42% and the 364-day bill at 9.96%.
The consistent oversubscription reflects a flight to safety among local institutional investors. However, the government's revised target of GH¢9.322 billion (~$847 million USD) for the next tender indicates a continued heavy reliance on short-term debt to fund the national budget.
Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare has confirmed that GB Foods Africa has acquired 6,000 acres in the Afram Plains for a large-scale tomato cultivation project. The initiative aims to double yields to 40 tonnes per acre, reducing Ghana's heavy dependence on tomato imports from neighboring countries like Burkina Faso.
This project is a critical component of Ghana’s food security strategy, especially given the recent security disruptions on northern trade routes.
The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has called for an immediate overhaul of safety protocols in the hazardous goods transport sector after a fuel tanker detached from its tractor and exploded in Ntoaso on February 14. The blast caused multiple fatalities and destroyed several vehicles. The NRSA is demanding stricter maintenance schedules and specialized training for bulk transport drivers.
Look for new enforcement actions on the Nsawam-Accra highway and potential penalties for Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) that fail to meet new safety standards for transit tankers.
The Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) has opened a full investigation into the death of 29-year-old engineer Charles Amissah. Amissah reportedly died in an ambulance after being denied emergency care by three major hospitals—Police Hospital, Ridge Hospital, and Korle Bu—allegedly due to a lack of available beds. Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has since proposed a real-time centralized monitoring system for bed availability in Accra.
The 'no-bed syndrome' has been a recurring crisis in Ghana's healthcare system for years, often leading to preventable deaths. Previous attempts to digitize hospital bed management have struggled with implementation at the facility level.
An Accra Circuit Court has ordered businessman Vince Kontoh to pay GH¢200,000 (~$18,181 USD) in damages to Ms. Ernestina Torgbor after breaching a marriage promise following an 11-year relationship. The award includes GH¢150,000 (~$13,636 USD) specifically for the breach and recognizes Ms. Torgbor's beneficial interest in a property in East Legon.
This ruling sets a powerful legal precedent for the protection of partners in long-term informal domestic arrangements, emphasizing that marriage promises carry significant legal and financial liability in Ghana.
Rapper Kwaw Kese has publicly urged the Ghana Police Service to reopen the investigation into the 2014 murder of his manager, Fennec Okyere. Kese expressed outrage over reports that the case has been closed after 12 years without a successful prosecution, calling the situation a 'significant failure' of the justice system.
Fennec Okyere was killed at his home in March 2014. While industry figure Bullgod was originally arrested as a suspect, charges were eventually dropped for lack of evidence, leaving the case cold for over a decade.
Legendary musician Kojo Antwi has launched his new book, 'Mr Music Man: The Journey So Far.' The event drew high-profile guests including business mogul Sam Jonah and former Chief of Staff Julius Debrah. The memoir provides a behind-the-scenes look at the evolution of Highlife and Antwi's global career.
Today we covered the significant liquidity challenges at COCOBOD leading to management pay cuts, the national mourning for traders lost in the Sahel, and the legal milestone protecting domestic partners in Accra. These stories highlight a nation navigating a complex path between economic austerity and institutional accountability. Thank you for reading the Ghana News AI Daily Brief!
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