On January 7, 2025, President John Mahama was sworn into his second term, inheriting an economy facing fiscal challenges and a public demanding solutions. Within his first year, his administration launched four significant economic initiatives: the 24-Hour Economy Policy, the 1 Million Coders Programme, the Adwumawura Initiative, and the Big Push infrastructure program. In December 2025, a fifth, more technical initiative emerged: the Republic of Ghana National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025–2035. While appearing to be a sectoral document, this AI Strategy is positioned as the critical productivity multiplier for the administration’s entire economic reset agenda.
The Four Pillars of the Reset
President Mahama’s administration is anchored by four key pillars: macroeconomic stabilization, improving the business and investment environment, constitutional review, and accountability and the fight against corruption. The National AI Strategy directly supports the second pillar by addressing investor needs for regulatory predictability, ease of business formation, clear data and intellectual property rules, and a skilled workforce. It also supports the first pillar by aiming to boost GDP growth, which is essential for sustainable debt reduction.
Interlocking Flagship Programmes
The National AI Strategy is designed to complement and enhance the administration’s flagship economic programs. The 1 Million Coders Programme, which had nearly 150,000 applicants by May 2025, provides foundational digital skills. The AI Strategy’s Pillar 1 builds upon this by offering AI specialization, creating a complete pipeline from basic coding to advanced AI development.
The Adwumawura Initiative, launched to support youth entrepreneurship and job creation, is bolstered by Pillar 2 of the AI Strategy. This pillar provides AI-specific support for startups, including tax incentives, seed funding, and incubation, adding a technological edge to entrepreneurial ventures.
The 24-Hour Economy policy, a major campaign commitment to transform public and private sector operations for increased productivity and employment, is fundamentally enabled by AI. Continuous operations require AI for scheduling, predictive maintenance, quality control, and energy management. Pillar 3 of the AI Strategy, focusing on expanding compute capacity, provides the technical backbone for this ambitious economic model.
Furthermore, the Big Push, a $10 billion infrastructure program, aligns with Pillar 3’s commitments to developing data centers and broadband infrastructure. The Strategy’s emphasis on innovation hubs and rural broadband expansion ensures that development reaches all regions, not just major cities.
Macroeconomic Context and AI’s Role
Ghana’s economy in 2025 shows signs of stabilization, with GDP growth projected at 3.9% for the year. Inflation is easing, and the banking sector is recovering. The nation boasts a young population with a 70% internet penetration rate. These conditions create a fertile ground for an aggressive AI strategy to yield significant results.
AI is identified as a crucial
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