Ghana’s Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, delivered a compelling closing address at the National Economic Dialogue, emphasizing the need for a resilient and inclusive economy.
The two-day event, held at the Accra International Conference Center from March 3rd to 4th, 2025, convened under the distinguished patronage of President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Opoku-Agyemang, bringing together policymakers, economists, industry leaders, and civil society actors to chart a transformative economic agenda for Ghana.
In her address, Vice President Opoku-Agyemang lauded participants for their active engagement, thought leadership, and commitment to shaping the country’s economic future.
She noted that the discussions over the two days had been insightful and productive, providing a foundation for resetting the country’s economic trajectory.
Themed “Building a Resilient and Inclusive Economy: Resetting the Foundations for Sustainable Growth,” the dialogue focused on key drivers for national development, emphasizing stability, growth, and shared benefits for all Ghanaians.
The Vice President underscored the urgency of restoring confidence in Ghana’s economy through macroeconomic stability, steady inflation control, currency strengthening, and prudent fiscal policies.
She stressed that fiscal discipline and sound economic management must be at the core of Ghana’s economic framework.
“Our focus over these two days has been addressing the key drivers for national development. The dialogue has underscored the urgency of restoring confidence in our economy by maintaining macroeconomic stability, steadying inflation, strengthening our currency, and creating fiscal policies that support long-term sustainable growth”.
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
Diversifying the Economy and Enhancing Competitiveness
Professor Opoku-Agyemang called for a departure from Ghana’s over-reliance on a few sectors, advocating for a diversified economic structure.
She emphasized the need for broad-based and deep economic growth that cuts across multiple sectors, enhancing Ghana’s global competitiveness.
“We recognize that growth must be broad-based; it must be deep. We must move away from over-reliance on a few sectors in order to enhance our competitiveness at all levels.
“The importance of improving productivity, embracing technology, and prioritizing human well-being through inclusive economic growth cannot be lost on any one of us”.
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
Highlighting infrastructure development as a fundamental pillar of economic growth, Vice President Opoku-Agyemang stressed the importance of modernizing transport, energy, and communication systems.
She noted that aligning infrastructure investments with long-term development goals would improve connectivity, reduce costs, and unlock new business opportunities.
“Modernizing our transport, energy, and communication systems remains essential to ensuring that infrastructure investments align with long-term development goals.
“These investments will lead to improved connectivity, reduced costs, and new opportunities for businesses and communities nationwide”.
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
Structural and Policy Reforms for Economic Resilience
Acknowledging the evolving global economic landscape, the Vice President emphasized the need for continuous policy adaptation to foster resilience and competitiveness.
She identified key sectors such as agriculture, education, healthcare, and social welfare as critical areas requiring strategic reforms to support economic stability and growth.
“Our commitment is to continuously review and adapt our policies to meet the needs of a changing global economy. Especially in key sectors such as agriculture, education, healthcare, and social welfare, we must ensure that structural and policy reforms support a more resilient and competitive economy”.
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
Vice President Opoku-Agyemang reinforced the role of the private sector as the driving force of Ghana’s economic growth.
She called for an enabling environment that allows businesses to thrive, through improved access to finance, enhanced infrastructure, and a more competitive business climate.
“A private sector-led growth model is important. We need an enabling environment that allows businesses to thrive—whether through improved access to finance, better infrastructure, or the creation of a more competitive business environment. We must strengthen the private sector as the engine of growth, and this must go beyond rhetoric”.
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
She further stressed the need for decisive actions to ensure that the private sector is positioned to create jobs and drive innovation, emphasizing the collaborative role of government, private enterprises, civil society, and citizens in this endeavor.
Accountability and Transparency in Policy Implementation
Vice President Opoku-Agyemang underscored the importance of accountability and transparency in policy execution, assuring that the government would work closely with stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of agreed action points.
She reiterated that sustained action in fiscal reforms, private sector development, infrastructure expansion, and good governance would be key to achieving long-term economic stability.
“We will work with stakeholders to ensure that the action points are implemented effectively. This means ensuring sustained action in the areas of fiscal reforms, private sector support, infrastructure development, and good governance.”
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
Additionally, she stressed the importance of tracking progress and maintaining transparency, noting that accountability would be central to policy implementation.
Vice President Opoku-Agyemang concluded her address with a call for Ghana to move towards economic self-sufficiency.
She stressed the need for the prudent use of human and natural resources, reducing poverty, and making policy decisions that reflect the voices of all demographics.
“In this important journey, we must reduce reliance on unhelpful directions and move towards a truly economically independent country, capable—at the minimum—of feeding itself.
“When we make judicious use of our human and natural resources, reduce poverty as an objective, and ensure that decisions reflect the voices of our diverse demographics, we will be on the right path”.
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
She expressed gratitude to participants, speakers, and reporters for their contributions, reiterating that the dialogue would not end with the event but would continue through sustained engagement and action.
“It is a dialogue, so it hasn’t ended. We will continue,” she concluded.
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