SONA 2026: Over 1 Million Ghanaians Find Jobs as 950,000 Exit Multidimensional Poverty, President Mahama Says
President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed what he characterised as substantial progress in employment generation and poverty alleviation, stating that over one million Ghanaians secured jobs between the first and third quarters of 2025.
Delivering the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Friday, February 27, the President cited data from the Ghana Statistical Service, which shows that nearly 950,000 people moved out of multidimensional poverty during the same timeframe.
“According to the Ghana Statistical Service, over 1 million Ghanaians have found employment between quarter one and quarter three of 2025. About 950,000 have escaped multidimensional poverty over the same period,” he said.
He added that the development reflects a strengthening and more resilient economy, stressing that the government is transitioning from policy formulation to full-scale implementation of its flagship 24-hour economy initiative.
External Position Improves
The President further pointed to a significant turnaround in the country’s external accounts. As of December 2025, Ghana posted a current account surplus of $9.1 billion, representing 8.1 percent of GDP, up sharply from 1.8 percent recorded in 2024.
He credited the improvement to solid export receipts from gold, cocoa and non-traditional export products, in addition to rising remittance inflows.
According to President Mahama, the gains in job creation, poverty reduction and external sector performance underscore the broad-based recovery underway and reinforce the administration’s commitment to sustaining economic expansion through structural reforms and disciplined management.
