President John Mahama of Ghana has reduced the number of ministries in the country from 30 to 23 as part of efforts to cut government spending.
This decision, issued via an executive order, was documented in a gazette dated January 9, just two days after Mahama’s inauguration.
Under the new arrangement, several ministries established during the tenure of Nana Akufo-Addo, the former president, have been dissolved. These include the ministries of information, sanitation and water resources, national security, railway development, parliamentary affairs, public enterprises, and chieftaincy and religious affairs.
To streamline governance, Mahama has retained essential ministries such as finance, health, interior, defence, and education, while creating new ones like energy and green transition, youth development and empowerment, and trade, agribusiness, and industry. Others include ministries dedicated to sports and recreation, communication and digital technology, works, housing and water resources, and gender, children and social protection.
Mahama, who previously led Ghana from 2012 to 2017, returned to office after defeating former Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia in the presidential election. He secured 6,328,397 votes, amounting to 56.55% of the total, while Bawumia received 4,657,304 votes, or 41.6%. Notably, Bawumia conceded defeat before the official results were declared.
This cost-cutting initiative by Mahama contrasts sharply with the approach of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who expanded Nigeria’s ministries from 44 to 48 in 2023. Tinubu’s decision has drawn significant criticism, especially as Nigeria grapples with a worsening cost-of-living crisis.