Ghana's next finance minister?

Ghana has had eight finance ministers since the restoration of multiparty democracy. There could be a ninth in months, weeks or days i.e., before term. The current occupant, Ken Ofori-Atta, appears to retain the confidence of his president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo (NADAA), but fewer and fewer supporters outside. See: The Yardstick on inflation in Ghana (November 2022). Songhai Advisory. Given the weight of endogenous and exogenous forces arraigned against him, the likelihood of Ofori-Atta as finance minister in December 2024 continues to shrink.

If there is a successor this side of December 2024 general elections, who might he or she be? A key determinant will be NADAA’s underlying rationale. Does he see the requirements of the moment as cosmetic or political? And if political, is it to reach across the aisle or to maintain as much as possible of today’s modus operandi. Ofori-Atta w/o Ofori-Atta. Alternatively, will reassignment come at a point in which NADAA believes that there must be substantive change in the public financial management strategy, its implementation and communication?

The answer there will determine whether the next boss at Finance Drive, Accra is an Ofori-Atta proximate, or a member of a more distant wing of the NPP; a technocrat or, least likely, someone with ties to the opposition. For more information about the individuals, scenarios and implications, please get in touch: advisory@songhaiadvisory.com.

We are an African-owned and managed firm delivering local knowledge supporting transformative and sustainable strategic decision-making over the past decade. To find out more about our work or how to get connected, do get in touch; we would love to hear from you advisory@songhaiadvisory.com