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Ghana News Live Updates – January 12: Catch up on the major stories
Welcome to your daily digest of key developments from Ghana. These stories are curated for a global audience interested in Ghanaian affairs.
Bookmark this page and return often—new stories will be added as they break.
One Dead, 37 Injured in Suhum-Mankrong Highway Collision
A tragic accident on January 11, 2026, claimed one life and injured 37 others on the Accra-Kumasi Highway at Mankrong in Suhum Municipality, Eastern Region. The crash involved a Zhong Tong bus (AS 7022-21) and a Man Diesel truck (GW 3969-U), both moving at the time. The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) responded to a distress call at 6:59 am, led by Assistant Divisional Officer II Bernard Boamah. The deceased was a passenger on the bus, with injuries affecting 21 males and 16 females; the truck occupants escaped unharmed. Some victims were transported to Suhum Government Hospital before GNFS arrival. Firefighters extricated the body, aided the injured, cleared debris, and restored traffic. The bus suffered severe front damage, while the truck had minor rear impact. Eyewitnesses cited high bus speed as a factor, with investigations ongoing.
IPGs Commend Ghana Government for Settling $1.47 Billion Energy Arrears
Independent Power Generators (IPGs) in Ghana have praised the government for clearing $1.47 billion in legacy energy sector debts within its first year, calling it a pivotal move for sector stability. This includes full repayment of $597.15 million (plus interest) on the World Bank’s Partial Risk Guarantee, restoring the $500 million facility and enhancing Ghana’s international standing. In a statement, IPGs lauded the Ministries of Finance and Energy and Green Transition for timely actions, noting improved payment mechanisms like the Cash Waterfall. The clearance, completed by December 31, 2025, boosts investor confidence, supports economic growth, and fosters sustainability. IPGs reaffirmed their partnership for Ghana’s energy security.
Public Officers Constitutionally Obliged to Account for Tenure, Asserts Kwaku Azar
Legal scholar Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare (Kwaku Azar) stated on January 11, 2026, via Facebook that Ghanaian public officers are constitutionally bound to account for their tenure, countering claims otherwise. He cited the constitution’s foundational principles of probity and accountability, including Article 37(1) for a social order based on these values, Chapter 24’s code of conduct against conflicts, and Article 286’s asset declaration requirements before, during, and after office.
Unexplained wealth is presumed unlawful under Article 286(4). Azar highlighted the Auditor-General’s auditing powers, CHRAJ’s role, criminal laws on abuse, elections as accountability mechanisms, media duties under Article 162(5), and citizen participation in Article 240(1)(e). He concluded accountability permeates the constitution, viewing public office as stewardship, not exploitation.
Bank of Ghana Reveals GH¢5.66 Billion Loss in 2024 Domestic Gold Purchase Programme
The Bank of Ghana (BoG) disclosed that losses from its Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP), initiated in June 2021 to stabilize the currency, escalated to GH¢5.66 billion in 2024. This surge compares to GH¢74 million in 2022 and GH¢1.37 billion in 2023, attributed to net losses in gold and oil transactions (Net G40) and artisanal/small-scale mining (ASM) segments (Net G4R). The programme serves as a reserve buffer. In 2025, BoG purchased 110.99 tonnes of gold (including 100.6 tonnes from ASM), valued at US$11.4 billion, awaiting external audit. Details emerged from a right-to-information request by Asempa FM’s Ekosiisen; the 2024 Annual Report omitted specifics, and no full G4R profit/loss report exists.
Former Finance Minister Amin Adam Criticizes NDC’s PR on Energy Debt Payments
Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, ex-Finance Minister and Karaga MP, accused the NDC government of overhyping a $1.4 billion energy sector debt payment as a “PR gimmick,” deeming it routine rather than exceptional. He noted the previous NPP administration made a similar $1.4 billion payment in 2024 without publicity, as reflected in the 2025 Budget. Adam urged focus on transparency, consistency, and sustainable energy solutions, cautioning that selective narratives mislead the public. “The NDC government does PR with everything. Paying Energy Sector debts of $1.4 billion is not new,” he stated.
Labour Minister Projects 800,000 Jobs from Ghana’s Big Push Infrastructure Initiative
Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment Dr. Rashid Pelpuo announced on January 12, 2026, that the Big Push Project—a massive nationwide infrastructure drive—will generate about 800,000 jobs across skill levels in 2026. Centered on road construction, it includes roles for engineers, supervisors, and workers, covering the entire country with projects like the Accra-Kumasi superhighway and regional networks. Described as unprecedented, the initiative will boost the economy through construction, machinery procurement, and spillover effects. Pelpuo stated: “It’s going to cover the whole country, and it’s going to be what has never happened in this country before.” The goal is to enhance infrastructure and propel Ghana toward middle-income status.
GTEC Approves University of Ghana Fees for 2025/2026 with No Academic Facility Increase
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has approved fees for the University of Ghana’s 2025/2026 academic year, freezing the Academic Facility User Fee at 2024/2025 levels. Other levies include: SRC dues (GH¢50), SRC Development Levy (GH¢150), GRASAG Development Levy (GH¢250), and Telecel Broadband Levy (GH¢122 for undergraduates, including freshmen). A one-time 75th Anniversary Levy of GH¢100 applies only this year. GTEC stressed student rights awareness, including opt-out options for certain levies, to ensure transparency. The move addresses fee schedule concerns. “This announcement seeks to resolve issues surrounding the 2025/2026 fee schedule… We are counting on the usual cooperation of all stakeholders,” per GTEC’s statement.
Mahama Heads to World Economic Forum After UK Meetings
President John Mahama left Accra on Sunday for the United Kingdom to meet with coordinators of the Accra Reset initiative, before traveling to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum. He is set to join forum sessions and hold bilateral talks with global leaders, underscoring Ghana’s commitment to international economic discussions. This move comes amid efforts to strengthen Ghana’s position on the world stage.
Mahama Administration Clears $1.47 Billion Energy Debt, Revives World Bank Guarantee
In its first year, the Mahama government has settled US$1.47 billion in inherited energy sector debts, fully restoring the World Bank’s US$500 million Partial Risk Guarantee for the Sankofa Gas Project. This includes repaying US$597.15 million drawn on the guarantee and clearing US$480 million in gas invoices to ENI and Vitol. The actions prevent sector collapse, boost investor confidence, and secure future payments through budgetary measures, marking a significant turnaround from prior governance issues.
National Security Uses Clean-Up Drives to Combat Prostitution in Tamale
In an unconventional approach, National Security operatives in Ghana’s Northern Region have initiated public clean-up exercises in Tamale to deter street prostitution. Collaborating with migration authorities, they arrested women in hotspots and required them to sweep streets and collect refuse as a disciplinary measure. While some locals praise it for promoting hygiene and order, critics argue it overlooks underlying causes like poverty. This is part of wider regional efforts against drugs and social vices.
Ghana Pays $393 Million to IPPs in Energy Sector Overhaul
As part of a broader US$1.47 billion debt clearance, the Mahama administration disbursed US$393 million to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in 2025, including major payments to Karpowership, Cenpower, and Sunon Asogli. These steps, combined with renegotiated contracts and a Cash Waterfall Mechanism, aim to stabilize electricity supply, prevent future arrears, and shift toward domestic gas production. Officials hail it as ending unchecked debt accumulation and restoring sector stability.
2026: Pivotal Year for Ghana’s Cannabis Industry, Says Chamber
The Chamber of Cannabis Industry Ghana labels 2026 as a critical juncture for the medicinal and industrial cannabis sector, post-2020 legalization of low-THC varieties. CEO Dr. Mark Darko calls for swift policy execution, including finalizing fees and guidelines, to harness opportunities in pharmaceuticals, exports, and job creation while ensuring compliance and public safety. The focus is on long-term, data-driven growth through stakeholder collaboration to integrate Ghana into global markets.
Criticism Mounts: Mahama’s Government Not Lean, Claims Bawumia Campaign Director
Dennis Miracles Aboagye, from the Bawumia Campaign, accuses President Mahama’s administration of bloating government despite appointing only 56 ministers, arguing that presidential staffers at Jubilee House function like deputy ministers with significant authority. Drawing from past experience, he insists true efficiency assessments must include these roles. This critique emerges in Ghana’s politically charged environment, questioning the NDC’s commitment to streamlined governance in its inaugural year.
Nigerian Investments Inject $103 Million into Ghana’s Economy in 2025
Dispelling myths of an informal “retail takeover,” official data shows Nigerian investors channeled US$103.61 million into Ghana via nine projects in the first nine months of 2025, focusing on general trade and wholesale. This created prospects for 9,498 jobs, mostly for Ghanaians, with a Q2 surge exceeding investments from China and the UAE. The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre highlights these structured inflows as boosting economic ties between the two nations.
Western Regional Minister Advocates Drones to Halt Illegal Mining at River Origins
Joseph Nelson, Western Regional Minister, proposes drone technology for surveillance at river sources to curb illegal mining (galamsey), criticizing current downstream efforts as insufficient against upstream pollution in rivers like Ankobra and Pra. This follows a military operation seizing equipment in Amenfi Central, exposing severe environmental and infrastructural damage. Security officials stress sustained monitoring to prevent resurgence, amid local complaints of disrupted livelihoods.
IGP’s FBI Badge Explained: Symbol of Ghana-US Security Partnership
Ghana’s Inspector General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohunu, wore a commemorative FBI New York Field Office badge at the 2025 WASSA event in Accra, sparking online curiosity. The pin, received during an October 2025 delegation visit to the FBI, signifies enhanced cooperation on cyber fraud, intelligence, and counterterrorism. It falls under the FBI’s Honorary Medals Programme for international allies.
Check back soon for updates as more developments unfold across Ghana and the global community.
The first sip of Lamugin arrives with a gentle heat — peppery, sweet, smoky, and strangely comforting all at once.
Sold from roadside coolers, market stalls, and small neighbourhood food joints across northern Ghana and beyond, Lamugin is one of those drinks that quietly tells the story of place, memory, and tradition.
Made primarily from rice, ginger, cloves, pepper, and sometimes hints of vanilla or local spices, Lamugin sits somewhere between a refreshing beverage and a natural wellness tonic.
Served cold in transparent bottles or plastic cups packed with ice, it has become especially popular on hot afternoons when Ghana’s sun hangs heavily over crowded streets and open markets.
Its aroma often arrives before the drink itself — the sharp scent of ginger blending with earthy spices familiar to many Ghanaian kitchens.
The flavour follows with layers that shift between sweet and fiery, leaving behind a lingering warmth that explains why many people consider it both refreshing and medicinal. Some drink it for energy, others for digestion, and many simply because it tastes like home.
@chefabbys Originally, Lamugee is a Ghanaian spice drink made from Rice and Tamarind. People confuse this with Zomkom which is made with Millet ❤️ Willl you try this?? #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #viral ♬ Ojapiano – Kcee
Although deeply rooted in northern Ghanaian food culture, Lamugin has steadily crossed regional boundaries, appearing in cafés, food festivals, and modern juice bars in Accra and Kumasi.
For visitors exploring Ghanaian cuisine beyond jollof rice and waakye, it offers something distinctively local and memorable.
What keeps Lamugin beloved is its balance of simplicity and character. In a country rich with flavour, it remains one of Ghana’s most quietly unforgettable drinks — cooling in temperature, bold in personality, and unmistakably Ghanaian.
Festivals & Events
STEM, Sustainability, and Sisterhood: Inside Accra’s Landmark Environmental Conference
On a humid July morning in Accra, the campus of the University of Ghana begins to hum with a different kind of energy. It’s not just lectures and deadlines in the air, but conversations about rivers, forests, solar panels, and the futures of girls who will one day shape them.
The 2nd Accra Conference on Environmental Education & Lifelong Learning arrives not as a routine gathering, but as a meeting of ideas grounded in purpose.
At its core, the conference—organized by the Pan African Centre for Climate Policy—explores a powerful idea: that empowering girls through STEM can unlock solutions to Africa’s most urgent environmental challenges.
Building on its inaugural edition, this year’s theme pushes further, connecting lifelong learning with climate resilience, renewable energy, conservation, and sustainable agriculture.
In a continent where traditional knowledge and modern science often intersect, the conference becomes a space where both are valued equally.
What makes this event stand out is how it blends intellectual exchange with lived experience. Visitors can expect panel discussions that move beyond theory, showcasing grassroots innovations led by young women across Africa.
There are storytelling sessions rooted in indigenous ecological wisdom—practices passed down through generations but now finding new relevance in climate conversations.
The atmosphere is collaborative rather than formal, with educators, policymakers, students, and community leaders sharing the same space and, often, the same urgency.
Step outside the conference halls, and the experience widens. Accra itself becomes part of the story. Between sessions, attendees might wander through nearby markets, sample local dishes like waakye or kelewele, or strike up conversations that continue long after the panels end.
Cultural exchanges unfold naturally—through language, food, and shared curiosity. It’s a reminder that sustainability isn’t just about systems; it’s about people and how they live.
For international visitors, the conference offers a rare window into Africa’s environmental dialogue—one shaped not by distant narratives, but by those living the realities.
For Ghanaians, it’s an opportunity to reconnect with both heritage and possibility: to see how traditional practices can inform modern solutions, and how young women are stepping into roles that redefine leadership.
By the time the conference closes on July 24, the conversations won’t simply end—they’ll ripple outward. Because what begins in a lecture hall in Accra has the potential to influence classrooms, communities, and policies across the continent.
Calls for stronger government investment in Ghana’s arts sector took centre stage in Accra last week, as leading artists and academics warned that the country’s cultural momentum could stall without urgent support for infrastructure and preservation.
The appeal came during a conference organized by Foundation for Contemporary Art Ghana in collaboration with TRAFO Centre for Contemporary Art. The gathering brought together artists, curators, students and cultural stakeholders to assess the state of Ghana’s art industry and its future direction.
Despite Ghana’s growing international profile in contemporary art, speakers argued that progress has largely been driven by individual effort rather than coordinated state backing.
Karikacha Seidou, Dean of the Faculty of Art at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, described the current moment as a “golden age of art,” but cautioned that the absence of sustained public investment could undermine these gains.
He pointed to the limited number of museums and galleries, alongside the neglect of public art, as key challenges facing the sector. According to him, strengthening institutional support would not only preserve Ghana’s cultural heritage but also create opportunities for emerging artists and educate younger generations.
Seidou also placed Ghana’s artistic achievements within a broader historical context, noting that many of today’s successes build on cultural foundations laid during the era of Kwame Nkrumah. He cited the global recognition of Ibrahim Mahama, who topped the ArtReview Power 100 list in 2025, as evidence of the country’s growing influence on the international art stage.
Attention also turned to the fate of Ghana’s public monuments. Adwoa Amoah, co-director of the Foundation for Contemporary Art Ghana, highlighted how several historical monuments commissioned in the early post-independence period have either disappeared or fallen into obscurity following political transitions.
She said a recent exhibition by the foundation had reignited debate over whether such monuments should be restored or replaced with new forms of public art that reflect contemporary realities. For Amoah, public art remains central to shaping national identity and fostering civic dialogue.
Participants agreed that without deliberate policies and investment, Ghana risks losing parts of its cultural memory even as its contemporary art scene gains global acclaim.
The conference underscored a growing consensus: that safeguarding the nation’s artistic legacy requires not only creative energy but also sustained institutional commitment.
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