By Francis Kobena Tandoh
President John Dramani Mahama delivered his New Year’s Message to the Nation on Thursday, touching on the need for the citizenry to rally behind the government in building a nation to create opportunities for all. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report
Find below the full New Year Message as delivered by President John Dramani Mahama below;
NEW YEAR MESSAGE TO THE NATION
By His Excellency John Dramani Mahama
President of the Republic of Ghana
1 January 2026
Good evening, my fellow citizens.
As we stand at the threshold of a new year, I come before you with a heart full of gratitude and
renewed determination.
Tonight, as families gather across our beloved nation, from the shores of Ada to the savannah
plains of Bolgatanga, from the forests of the Western Region to the vibrant streets of Kumasi
and Accra, I extend my warmest wishes to every Ghanaian, wherever you may be.
Happy New Year!
Exactly six days from now, we shall mark the first anniversary of the sacred oath I took before
God and country. It was a solemn commitment to reset Ghana and build together the nation
we all deserve. I can confirm that the promise of renewal we made was not mere rhetoric. It
was a covenant. And we have begun to deliver on that covenant.
One year ago, we inherited a nation in distress. An economy on its knees, unemployment
crushing our youth, infrastructure crumbling, public trust eroded, and hope dimming in the
eyes of our people. We were told that recovery would take a generation. But I knew something
our critics did not. I knew the resilient spirit of the Ghanaian people.
At the dawn of the New Year, I stand before you to say, our beloved nation, Ghana, is rising
again.
We have accomplished a lot together in the past twelve months. Through prudent management and difficult but necessary reforms:
- We have reduced inflation from distressing levels of 23% and above by the end of 2024,
and we are hopeful of ending 2025 with inflation in the single digits, just above 5%.
- We have achieved relative currency stability and are on track to be ranked among the
world’s best-performing currencies in 2025.
- We are accelerating economic growth and creating more opportunities for our young
people.
- We have restored business confidence and have seen a significant increase in both
domes c and foreign direct investment.
- We have restored Ghana’s credibility with international partners, successfully completed the renegotiation of our debt obligations on terms that protect our sovereignty while ensuring sustainability.
- We are beginning the process of exiting the IMF programme with dignity, not as supplicants, but as partners.
Our young people are Ghana’s greatest resource. We are beginning to see significant growth in
sectoral performance. Construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and services are showing significant growth. This is creating new opportunities for decent employment for our youth.
Infrastructure is the backbone of development. We have begun the rehabilitation of over 2,000
kilometres of roads nationwide; we have restored a consistent electricity supply and expanding
rural electrification to more than 1,000 additional communities.
My countrymen and women, Ghana’s image in the international community has been positively
boosted by our world-acclaimed Reset Agenda. This Reset involves a new way of looking at
things both domestically and globally.
Domestically, our Rest Agenda is seeing a resurgence of faith in our democracy. It is delivering
a leaner and more efficient administration. It is yielding greater accountability in government
and a reenergized fight against corruption.
At the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, I took the advantage of the global
platform to share Ghana’s vision with the world. The Accra Reset Initiative is a comprehensive
framework for the sustainable transformation of our global governance system. This vision will
address inequalities in the current global system and reset it to create greater opportunities
for Africa and other countries in the Global South.
Ghana’s call for a global reset will address the interconnected challenges of our me, and I am
committed to leading it alongside other world leaders.
This is our moment. This is Ghana’s moment to lead.
To our fellow Africans across this great continent, Ghana’s story is a part of Africa’s renaissance.
The challenges we face are not unique to us. They are the common inheritance of our shared
history and the collective responsibility of our shared future.
We in Ghana have proved in 2025 that democracy works, that peaceful transitions of power
strengthen us rather than weaken us, and that African solutions to African problems are not
just slogans but achievable realities. As Ghana rises, we extend our hands to our neighbours
and partners across Africa. Together, we shall build the Africa we want.
Together, we can prove to the world what is possible when developing nations are given the
space and support to chart their own course. We invite the world to invest in Ghana’s
transformation, not out of benevolence, but out of enlightened self-interest in a more stable,
prosperous, and sustainable world.
My dear compatriots, as satisfying as our achievements of 2025 are, they are but the foundation. The architecture of the Ghana we want must now be built on this foundation.
In 2026, we shall accelerate and expand.
Every child deserves a world-class education. We will continue digitalising our schools and
ensure every classroom has the tools for 21st-century learning.
We shall operationalise Universal Health Coverage through the Free Primary Health Care
Programme, ensuring that no Ghanaian is denied care due to inability to pay. Through the
Ghana Medical Trust Fund, we will stretch a hand of support to our people suffering from non
communicable diseases.
We shall make Ghana food self-sufficient and transform agriculture from subsistence to a
thriving commercial enterprise through mechanisation, value addition, and market access.
We are working to achieve a 30% share of renewable energy in our national energy mix,
reducing costs and protecting the environment.
We shall deliver social housing units through public-private partnerships.
We shall intensify the fight against corruption with no sacred cows. Every cedi belongs to the
people and must be accounted for.
We will implement the recommendations of the Constitution Review Committee to make our
1992 constitution an even greater guide for the consolidation of our democracy.
Ladies and gentlemen, governments do not build nations alone. They do that with the citizenry.
As we enter 2026, I call upon each one of you:
- Our young people: You are not the leaders of tomorrow. You are the leaders of today.
Take ownership of this Reset Agenda. Innovate. Create and Build. Ghana needs your
energy, your ideas, your commitment.
- To our entrepreneurs and business leaders: Invest in Ghana. Build businesses that
create jobs and wealth for yourselves and for the economy. I pledge to maintain a
conducive environment for your businesses to thrive; your commitment must be to
seize the opportunities that we create.
- To our civil society, media, and watchdog institutions: Continue to hold us accountable.
A vibrant democracy needs your critical voice. We may not always agree, but we shall
always respect the role you play in strengthening our nation.
- To our traditional leaders and faith-based communities: You are the custodians of our
values and the anchors of our communities. Help us build social cohesion and national
unity. Help us nurture the moral fabric that holds our society together.
To the public servants: Yours is a noble calling. Serve with integrity, efficiency, and dedication. The people’s trust in government depends on your daily conduct.
- And to our diaspora community: You are Ghana’s global ambassadors. Continue to
make us proud. When you can, bring your skills, resources, and networks back home.
Ghana needs you.
We are one people with a shared destiny. Whether you voted for me or not, whether you
supported the NDC or not, we are all Ghanaians, and this reset is for all of us. There is no NPP
Ghana. There is no CPP Ghana or NDC Ghana. There is only one Ghana. The one our forebears
fought for and shed their blood to give us our freedom.
Let us reject the poli cs of division and embrace the patriotism of nation-building. Let us
disagree without being disagreeable. Let us compete in the marketplace of ideas without
treating our opponents as enemies. The challenges we face are too urgent, and the
opportunities before us are too precious, for us to waste me and energy on needless conflict.
I see a Ghana where every child, regardless of their background, can dream and achieve those
dreams. I see a Ghana where hard work is rewarded, where merit triumphs over mediocrity,
where integrity is celebrated, and where corruption is punished.
I see a Ghana where our young people don’t have to risk their lives crossing the Sahara or the
Mediterranean in search of opportunities because opportunities abound right here at home. I
see a Ghana where our senior citizens live in dignity, where our sick are cared for and where
our vulnerable are protected.
I see a Ghana respected on the global stage for the quality of our democracy, the vibrancy of
our economy, and the character of our people. I see a Ghana that is a light unto Africa and a
beacon unto the world.
This is not wishful thinking. This is the Ghana we are building together. This is the Ghana that is
within our reach.
As we enter 2026, let us move forward with confidence, determination, and faith. Faith in God,
faith in Ghana, and faith in ourselves.
Let us build on the foundation we have laid. Let us work harder, dream bigger, and achieve even
greater things. Let us prove that the promise that inspired our founding fathers and the promise
that has sustained us through trials and triumphs is not just a promise, but a prophecy waiting
to be fulfilled.
May God bless you all. May God bless our homeland, Ghana, and make her great and strong.
Happy New Year, and may 2026 bring us all prosperity, peace, and progress.
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