Government needs to build confidence in the people, in two key areas

We are facing a systemic problem brought on by insular decision-making that is fraught with partisan politics and a failure to tap into the vast talent of competent Ghanaian citizens across the globe who could have helped manage our economy better. We have been to the IMF 17 times, and I do not know why […]
A Painful Pill or Necessary Evil? Examining the Rising Cost of Retail Medicines

Ghana’s pharmaceutical sector is heavily reliant on foreign exchange, with an estimated 70% of all products being imported whilst the remaining 30% is produced locally. With local manufacture, it is estimated that 83% of all materials are also imported, making the sector heavily sensitive to foreign exchange rate fluctuations. Another contributor to pricing in the […]
Emergency Management: Citizens’ Views on Government’s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 global pandemic was an event no one anticipated when the year 2020 began. This unanticipated event with the health risks it presented and the urgent need to protect human lives, required strategic policy responses from governments. In the case of Ghana, the government’s action included a) a partial lockdown for three weeks in […]
About ‘Kronti ne Akwamu’ (Democracy and Good Governance) Public Lecture

Launched in March 2005, Kronti ne Akwamu is CDD-Ghana’s flagship public lecture on democracy, governance, and development. It is delivered annually by a local or international public figure, scholar or practitioner whose work reflects an enduring engagement with or commitment to democracy, good governance, and inclusive development—the three, interrelated ideals that define CDD-Ghana’s mission and […]
If the Fundamentals of the Economy are Weak…

Data for Governance Alliance wraps up pan-African CSOs capacity-building workshop on accessing and using data for advocacy

The Data for Governance consortium is a four-year (2021-2024) collaboration led by Afrobarometer with the Center for Democratic Development Ghana, the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Nairobi, the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation and Laws Africa at the University of Cape Town. The consortium recently organized a series of three regional workshops […]
The Ghana Statistical Services Is Not Wrong!

I first came into close contact with the Ghana Statistical Service back in 2002 when as a graduate student, I needed some data for a research project I was undertaking in Ghana. Ever since my engagement with the Service, I have closely followed their work to keep myself updated on how well it is fulfilling […]
Ghanaians see gender-based violence as a criminal matter

Oct 13_AB R9-News release-Ghanaians say no to physical force against women-Afrobarometer-12oct22
The Economics, Policy and Politics of the Fight against Galamsey

We are back to the issue of galamsey! The president’s meeting with the National House of Chiefs and the MMDCEs, media reports with pictures of polluted rivers, conversations on social media, etc. are contributing to this renewed sense of urgency to act. The Economics of Galamsey During my doctoral dissertation research work some twelve years […]
Should The State Fund Political Parties? – Ghanaians Say No

In May this year, I gave a talk on intra-party democracy in Ghana. In preparation for the talk, I read the constitutions of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP), our two main political parties. I was quite struck by their elaborate political-administrative structure. Such a structure faces many challenges including coordination […]