NDPC releases final progress report on Agenda for Jobs II, reveals mixed economic gains amid persistent challenges

Ghana's National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has released its 2025 National Annual Progress Report, a comprehensive assessment of the country's development performance under the Agenda for Jobs II policy framework (2022–2025). The report, launched on Thursday, July 16, marks the fourth and final progress update under this policy cycle, offering both encouraging economic data and sobering reminders of persistent development gaps.

According to NDPC Chairman Dr Nii Moi Thompson, the report provides objective evidence of Ghana's progress while serving as a critical accountability document. He emphasised that it fulfils the Commission's constitutional mandate to monitor and evaluate national development policies and programmes, promoting transparency in how government resources are deployed across sectors.

The economic picture: progress and headwinds

The report documents measurable improvements in several macroeconomic indicators. Ghana has achieved stronger economic growth, declining inflation rates, improved fiscal performance, and a lower public debt-to-GDP ratio compared to previous years. These gains reflect government efforts to stabilise the economy following the 2022–2023 fiscal crisis that saw Ghana seek International Monetary Fund support.

However, the report does not paint an entirely rosy picture. Alongside these improvements, the NDPC identifies significant implementation challenges across government agencies and local authorities. Public service delivery remains inconsistent, with gaps between policy design and effective execution undermining development outcomes at grassroots level.

The shadow side: unemployment, health and capacity gaps

The report highlights three critical problem areas demanding urgent policy attention. Youth unemployment persists as a major concern, particularly affecting tertiary graduates entering a labour market unable to absorb their numbers. This structural issue has implications for social stability, remittance flows, and irregular migration—all matters affecting Ghanaian families and communities.

Maternal and child health outcomes remain suboptimal despite decades of investment and international commitments. The report suggests that service quality, accessibility and resource constraints continue to hinder progress toward Ghana's health targets and international commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals.

Implementation capacity across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs) and local assemblies emerges as a cross-cutting challenge. This reflects inadequate staffing, skills gaps, coordination failures, and funding constraints that prevent effective translation of national policies into tangible improvements in citizens' lives.

What this means for Ghana's development trajectory

The 2025 report serves as both a snapshot and a road map. As the final assessment under Agenda for Jobs II, it provides the evidentiary foundation for designing Ghana's next medium-term development policy framework. Policymakers and development partners will use its findings to identify which initiatives warrant continuation, which require redesign, and which new approaches are needed.

The mixed picture—real economic progress alongside persistent structural challenges—reflects Ghana's development reality. Macroeconomic stability is necessary but insufficient; without corresponding improvements in job creation, health service delivery, and government capacity, economic gains risk benefiting only a narrow segment of the population.

Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, the NDPC Director-General, stressed that the report was compiled through nationwide monitoring involving all tiers of government, drawing on data from MDAs, RCCs and local assemblies. This participatory approach enhances credibility and ensures findings reflect ground-level realities across Ghana's 16 regions.

Civil society organisations, development partners, the private sector and ordinary citizens can now access an official, evidence-based assessment of government performance—a critical tool for informed public debate and accountability. The report's findings should inform decisions by both public and private institutions on resource allocation and strategic priorities in the coming years.