By Miracle Ogunde
In a bid to reduce public expenditure under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) austerity programme, Ghana’s President John Mahama has scrapped seven government ministries, cutting the total from 30 to 23.
The change, documented in a 9 January gazette, reflects Mahama’s commitment to streamlining government for enhanced efficiency. Key ministries retained include finance, health, interior, defence, education, energy and green transition, roads and highways, and transport. This was confirmed by the president’s office in an emailed statement.
Mahama’s return to power follows his tenure as president between 2012 and 2017. In a hotly contested election, he defeated former Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, securing 56.55 per cent of the vote. Bawumia, who conceded before the final count, garnered 41.6 per cent.
The decision to reduce the size of government marks a sharp contrast to Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, who expanded his cabinet to 48 ministries in 2023, up from 44 under his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
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