What are the drivers of economic recovery in Ghana post-Covid-19?

As part of research being conducted by Oxford Business Group to outline Ghana's response to the pandemic in an upcoming Covid-19 Response Report, OBG’s Regional Editor for Africa, Souhir Mzali, recently interviewed Vice-President, Mahamudu Bawumia.

Bawumia, who also chairs the country's COVID-19 Daily Monitoring Team, explained that digital solutions were key to managing the outbreak. The government set up a mobile tracking app to oversee contact tracing as part of the ‘testing, tracing, treatment’ containment strategy and deployed drones to deliver samples to testing centres. These efforts ensured that Ghana had some of the highest testing rates in the region.

The Vice-President also laid out the steps Ghana has taken to build the country's domestic industrial capacity and deepen self-reliance. Bawumia characterised the successful mobilisation of local industry to meet demands for personal protective equipment as an 'eye-opener'. Following this experience, the government has committed itself to directing government procurement as much as possible to local industry. 

Building on the 'Ghana Beyond Aid' vision, the government has identified further investment in industry, infrastructure and food security as key drivers of the economic recovery. In the interview, Bawumia outlines the GHS100bn Covid-19 alleviation and revitalisation of enterprises support (CARES) programme, which is intended to provide employment, enable economic recovery and create business opportunities.

The interview will be featured in the upcoming Ghana Covid-19 Response Report which OBG is producing in collaboration with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre. The Report will include an overview of the economic situation prior to the pandemic, a detailed analysis of the government’s response, the road towards recovery and the way that Ghana is reinventing itself in the face of the challenges and opportunities provided by Covid-19.