Richard Ahiagbah, the Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has defended the party’s economic management, emphasizing the progress made before global disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict impacted Ghana’s growth.
In an interview on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, November 23, Ahiagbah reiterated the NPP’s commitment to achieving steady and sustainable economic growth. He highlighted key achievements during the party’s administration before these global crises disrupted the nation’s economic progress.
Ahiagbah noted that, prior to the pandemic, Ghana was seen as a leading example of economic growth in Africa. He compared the NPP’s economic performance with previous administrations, arguing that the party reversed the stagnation Ghana experienced before 2017.
Acknowledging the COVID-19 pandemic as a “gamechanger” for Ghana’s economy, Ahiagbah pointed out that, like many other nations, the pandemic severely impacted various sectors and stalled infrastructure development, disrupting the country’s promising growth trajectory.
“In 2019, Ghana surpassed Nigeria in terms of foreign direct investments, and Ghana was named as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and that is not just sheer luck. If you compare what was happening before we came into office, it is a total contrast and so that is a record we must state and state very well.
“The game changer in the negative direction, which is COVID-19, I submit to you that Ghana’s economy would not have been where we are, we would have continued on our growth trajectory, and all the promises that we made to attain a certain infrastructure threshold, we would have been on course to sustaining that.”
