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President John Mahama, during a state visit by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, announced a historic free visa policy for all African nationals effective May 25, 2026. This initiative follows the signing of 23 visa waiver agreements since 2025 and 10 new Memoranda of Understanding with Zimbabwe covering health, energy, and agriculture. The leaders also revitalized the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) to monitor these agreements every two years.
This policy is a major signal of Ghana's commitment to Pan-Africanism and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). By removing travel barriers, the administration expects to significantly boost tourism revenue and attract regional investors looking for a stable entry point into West Africa.
President Mahama, inaugurated in January 2025, has prioritized regional integration as a key pillar of his economic strategy, moving away from the more restrictive border policies of previous cycles.
The passage of the Legal Education Bill 2025 has effectively ended the long-standing monopoly of the Ghana School of Law. The new law allows accredited universities to provide professional legal training under the regulation of a newly established Council for Legal Education and Training. While supported by legal reformers as a way to modernize a system stagnant since 1968, the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has criticized the government for a lack of consultation during the drafting process.
For decades, hundreds of qualified law students were denied entry to the bar due to quota systems at the Ghana School of Law. This reform democratizes access to the legal profession, potentially lowering the cost of legal services over time.
Legal education reform has been a flashpoint for student protests and parliamentary debates for over five years, with many accusing the previous system of being elitist and exclusionary.
Ghana's financial sector has achieved a remarkable turnaround. GCB Bank PLC reported a Profit Before Tax of GHc3.2 billion ($290.9 million USD) for 2025, while Zenith Bank Ghana saw profits rise 121% to GHc997.7 million ($90.7 million USD). The Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) also returned to profitability with GHc367.3 million (~$33.4 million USD). This financial surge is supported by the March 2026 inflation rate, which plummeted to 3.2%, the lowest in years.
The success of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) and strict fiscal discipline have stabilized the cedi and allowed banks to pivot back to commercial lending. This creates a much-improved environment for private sector credit.
The government successfully secured GHc3.1 billion ($281.8 million USD) in its first post-DDEP 7-year bond auction, signaling high market confidence. Investors should watch for the Ghana Revenue Authority's (GRA) aggressive drive to meet a GHc230 billion ($20.9 billion USD) revenue target for 2026.
At the current exchange rate of 11, the drop in inflation means the purchasing power of your remittances for family projects and construction in Ghana is significantly more stable than in 2023-2024.
Effective April 1, 2026, the Airport Infrastructure Development Charge (AIDC) has been implemented, adding $100 USD to intercontinental tickets and GHc100 ($9.09 USD) to domestic flights to fund upgrades in Sunyani and Wa. Additionally, the price of sachet water will rise to GHc15 ($1.36 USD) per bag on April 6, driven by a 20% increase in the cost of imported polymers.
These incremental costs reflect the ongoing challenge of funding infrastructure while facing global supply chain volatility. The sachet water hike, in particular, will impact the daily budgets of millions of lower-income households.
Sachet water (commonly called 'pure water') is the primary source of drinking water for a majority of urban Ghanaians; price adjustments often lead to wider inflationary pressure on cooked food.
The Ghana Police Service and National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) have deployed thousands of officers to high-traffic zones like Kwahu and the Techiman-Kumasi Highway for the Easter weekend. Meanwhile, the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has issued a warning for moderate rainstorms and flash floods in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Volta regions, with a 60% impact likelihood.
Travelers to the Kwahu enclave should expect heavy checkpoints and vehicle inspections. Residents in low-lying areas of Accra and Kumasi should monitor weather updates to avoid flood-prone routes during the holiday.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has sacked head coach Otto Addo following a 5-1 defeat to Austria and the team's historic failure to qualify for AFCON 2025. Addo, who secured a 2026 World Cup berth, will receive $500,000 USD in compensation. The GFA is expected to name a successor within 14 days, with names like Herve Renard linked to the job.
Black Stars context: Ghana is slated to face England and Croatia in the 2026 World Cup Group L. The new coach will have less than three months to stabilize a squad that fans say lacks the identity of the 2010 'Golden Generation.'
Promise Aheto has become Ghana's first para-swimmer to qualify for the Commonwealth Games (Glasgow 2026). In boxing, undefeated prospect Theophilus Allotey (13-0) is set to fight Namibian Jonas Erastus for the WBA Super Flyweight title.
Media personality Afua Asantewaa, known for her global sing-a-thon attempt, confirmed she is 'separated but not divorced' from husband Kofi Owusu Aduonum. She cited a lack of support during her public social media backlash as a primary reason for the emotional strain.
The story has sparked a national conversation about the pressures of sudden fame and the expectations of spousal support for female celebrities in Ghana.
Today we covered Ghana's bold new free visa policy for Africans, the banking sector's record profits alongside historic 3.2% inflation, and the significant shakeup in Black Stars leadership. Thank you for reading the Ghana News AI Daily Brief!
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