Ghana’s ‘Reset Agenda’ a model for African reform, Mahama tells UN

President John Mahama used his address to the UN General Assembly to highlight his government’s economic turnaround, framing it as a template for broader African-led reform of the global financial system.

“When I returned to office in January, Ghana faced a rapidly depreciating currency, rising inflation, and a huge debt burden,” Mahama told world leaders.

“In just eight months, we have reduced inflation from 23.8% in December 2024 to 11.5% in August 2025, restoring price stability for our citizens,” he added.

He pointed to the Ghana cedi’s appreciation, at one point ranked by Bloomberg as the best-performing currency in the world, and improvements in sovereign credit ratings as evidence of renewed investor confidence. 

The cornerstone of these efforts, he explained, was Ghana’s “Reset Agenda”, a programme of structural reforms aimed at strengthening competitiveness and reviving public trust.

Mahama touted the 24-hour economy initiative as a transformative policy to boost productivity, job creation, and inclusive growth. “There is a renewed willingness amongst our people to trust that their elected officials have Ghana’s interests at heart,” he said.

But the president stressed that African progress was undermined by systemic global inequities. “We demand not only a reform of the Security Council, but also a reset of the global financial architecture, which is currently rigged against Africa,” Mahama declared. 

He insisted that African nations must have a greater say in institutions like the IMF and World Bank.

He further urged an end to exploitative concessionary agreements in resource-rich African states. “The days of parcelling out vast concession areas to foreign interests for exploitation must come to an end,” he warned. Instead, Africa should exercise sovereignty over its resources to fund development.

Mahama also called for the lifting of the decades-long blockade on Cuba, linking global economic justice to solidarity. “As Dr Kwame Nkrumah said, we seek to be friends with all and enemies to none,” he reminded delegates.

His remarks cast Ghana’s recent progress as a beacon of possibility, while pressing for reforms to ensure Africa’s economic voice is no longer marginalised in the global order.