Mahama's First Year Gets Low Marks: Think Tank Rates Government 4.9/10

President John Mahama's government has received a stark assessment from Ghana's Institute of Economic Research and Public Policy (IERPP), which has awarded the administration a score of just 4.9 out of 10 for its first year in office. The rating, released in the institute's inaugural performance tracker report, signals significant concerns about governmental effectiveness across multiple critical areas of national development.

The IERPP evaluation examined performance in infrastructure, energy, industry and manufacturing, governance, policy implementation, and social service delivery. According to the findings, all five sectors showed substantial deficiencies that collectively contributed to the below-average overall rating.

Where the Government Fell Short

Infrastructure emerged as the most critically underperforming sector in the assessment. The institute identified chronic underinvestment in capital projects as a major concern, with capital expenditure reaching only 0.9% during 2025—far below what would be required to meaningfully address Ghana's infrastructure deficit.

Professor Isaac Boadi, Executive Director of IERPP, highlighted the breadth of shortcomings affecting the administration's rating. Beyond infrastructure, the government's handling of energy provision, efforts to support industry and manufacturing development, delivery of social services such as healthcare and education, and overall governance quality all fell below expectations.

The institute stressed that these findings were based on independent evaluation methodology, positioning the assessment as objective rather than politically motivated commentary.

What This Means for Ghana

The IERPP score carries significance because performance trackers like this one provide benchmarking data that both citizens and policymakers can use to assess governmental delivery. With Ghana facing persistent infrastructure challenges, energy sector constraints, and demands for improved public services, the low rating reflects real constraints that ordinary Ghanaians experience daily—from unreliable power supply to poor road conditions and struggling healthcare facilities.

The particularly worrying capital expenditure figure of 0.9% suggests the government has struggled to translate policy commitments into concrete investments in roads, ports, schools and hospitals. This metric matters because infrastructure spending typically drives economic growth and job creation. A shortfall this significant indicates that development projects may stall, economic productivity could suffer, and Ghana's global competitiveness could be compromised.

The manufacturing and industry sector score also carries economic implications. As Ghana seeks to diversify beyond traditional sectors like cocoa and gold, weak governmental support for industrial development could hinder private sector growth and job creation—areas where Ghanaians consistently express frustration about employment opportunities.

Going Forward

The IERPP report establishes a baseline against which the Mahama administration's subsequent performance can be measured. Whether the government responds to these criticisms by accelerating capital project spending, improving energy sector management, and strengthening social service delivery will likely determine whether future performance scores improve significantly.

As Ghana heads deeper into the administration's tenure, reports like this one serve as a reality check on whether campaign promises and policy frameworks are translating into tangible improvements in citizens' lives. The 4.9 rating suggests substantial work remains ahead.