As Ghana prepares for a critical political transition, the policy promises of the five New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopefuls are beginning to take shape. Among them, Kennedy Agyapong has emerged with a bold and ambitious economic vision for Ghana’s future—one rooted in self-reliance, industrial growth, and disciplined governance.

At IMANI, they ve been scanning the political grapevine to distill the core of Agyapong’s 2028 presidential agenda. Here’s what they ve gathered so far:

Key Promises from Kennedy Agyapong

1. Private Sector Empowerment: Create a business-friendly environment to enable private companies to expand and generate mass employment.
2. Agricultural Export Hub: Convert 90% of Tamale Airport into a cargo facility to support large-scale agricultural exports.
3. Interest-Free Agribusiness Loans: Provide interest-free loans to individuals engaging in large-scale agriculture.
4. Agriculture as a Foreign Exchange Driver: Develop agriculture not just for jobs, but to boost foreign exchange earnings.
5. Asia Development Model: Emulate the disciplined, export-led growth strategies of Singapore, South Korea, and Malaysia.
6. Import Substitution: Ban imports of essential goods that can be produced locally to conserve foreign exchange for infrastructure.
7. “Grow Ghana, Feed Ghana” Revival: Reignite national agricultural pride and position Ghana as a net exporter.
8. Export-Driven Economy: Build a self-sustaining economy focused on exports.
9. Reduce Foreign Borrowing: Promote economic independence by reducing reliance on external debt.
10. Industrialisation Agenda: Support major industrial projects, including Africa’s largest pharmaceutical facility in the Central Region.
11. Decentralisation Drive: Relocate key ministries from Accra to other regions to promote balanced national development.
12. Public Sector Discipline: Enforce accountability, strengthen governance, and remove corrupt appointees.
13. No Nepotism: Commit to a “no family and friends” government.

These promises reflect a clear desire to shift Ghana from an import-dependent economy to one that is self-reliant, export-oriented, and industrially robust. But how feasible are these ambitions?

At IMANI, “we believe in evidence-based policy analysis. Our team will develop a framework to assess the promises of all NPP flagbearer hopefuls, including Kennedy Agyapong, against Ghana’s current economic realities. We’ll examine whether these proposals align with the habits of highly effective nations and whether they can realistically support Ghana’s transformation.”