SONA 2026: Prez. Mahama outlines “Resetting Ghana” and “Accra Reset” agendas

President John Dramani Mahama has outlined an ambitious twin-agenda framework — “Resetting Ghana” and the “Accra Reset” — as the guiding pillars of his administration’s policy direction for 2026 and beyond.

Delivering the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA 2026) on the floor of Parliament, President Mahama said the country’s upcoming 59th Independence Anniversary on March 6 would be commemorated under the theme “Building Prosperity, Restoring Hope.”

He emphasized that the theme was not ceremonial, but a practical blueprint shaping government action.

According to the President, the “Resetting Ghana” agenda represents a national commitment to restoring economic stability, rebuilding public trust in democratic institutions, strengthening governance systems, and improving the lives of ordinary citizens.

He described it as a decisive break from what he termed years of mismanagement, anchored instead on fiscal discipline, transparency, and sustainable development.

Mr. Mahama further introduced the “Accra Reset” as Ghana’s continental commitment — a call for African nations to shift from dependence to self-reliance, from fragmentation to integration, and from reactive diplomacy to strategic leadership. He argued that Ghana’s prosperity is inseparable from Africa’s broader progress.

“The two agendas are deeply interlinked,” the President told lawmakers, noting that Ghana cannot achieve lasting domestic prosperity without contributing to continental stability and growth.

Likewise, he said, the country cannot effectively lead on the African stage if it fails to maintain sound governance at home.

Reflecting on what he described as a “moment of national renewal,” President Mahama said his administration — now in the third year of his return to the presidency — is building on foundations laid in 2025 with clarity of purpose and unity of action.

He also situated Ghana’s policy direction within what he characterized as a rapidly shifting global order.

The President argued that the so-called rule-based international system often holds firm only when it protects the interests of dominant powers, but weakens when emerging and middle nations seek to rebalance influence within it.

“Ghana, like many nations, has learned this hard truth,” he said, adding that the country must respond to global uncertainty not with hesitation or fragmentation, but with resilience, strategic positioning, and reduced dependence.

President Mahama concluded this section of his address by stressing that resilience and prosperity are historically earned through discipline and national purpose, signaling his administration’s intention to pursue reforms both domestically and within Africa’s broader integration agenda.

The 2026 State of the Nation Address sets the tone for policy priorities as Ghana approaches its 59th year of independence.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith