From Party Policy to State Policy: Rethinking Ghana?s Political Future in the Context of Africa?s Agenda 2063.
By: Eric Paddy Boso
Introduction
Ghana is often celebrated as one of Africa?s most stable democracies. Since the return to constitutional rule in 1992, political power has alternated smoothly between the two dominant parties?the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP). This has entrenched a form of two-party state culture that, while relatively stable, has also limited the scope of national development.
Today, Ghana faces a critical juncture. While Africa as a continent is moving boldly toward Agenda 2063, the African Union?s (AU) ambitious blueprint for transformation, Ghana risks being left behind if it does not rethink its governance model. The absence of a clear, binding national policy framework that transcends partisan cycles has left the country dependent on short-term promises rather than long-term strategies. Citizens are calling for a decisive shift: from party policy to state policy.
The Limitations of Ghana?s Current Political Structure
Two-Party DominanceThe NDC?NPP duopoly has created a culture where governance revolves around winning elections rather than building enduring state institutions. Each change of government often leads to discontinuation of the predecessor?s policies, undermining continuity and consistency.
Eight-Year TraditionThe political norm of each party serving a maximum of two four-year terms has created a cycle of unfinished projects, policy reversals, and wasteful spending. Instead of national development, the political energy is consumed by campaigns, patronage, and party survival.
Absence of State PolicyGhana lacks a national policy framework enshrined in law and binding across administrations. As a result, long-term development goals are frequently derailed, leaving citizens disillusioned and investors uncertain.
Agenda 2063: Africa?s Vision, Ghana?s Missed Opportunity?
The African Union?s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want envisions a continent that is integrated, prosperous, and peaceful, driven by its own citizens. The agenda emphasizes:
Policy harmonization across countries and regions.
Legal reinforcement to ensure commitments are binding.
Breaking language and physical barriers to foster unity and integration.
Economic transformation through industrialization, technology, and intra-African trade.
For Ghana, Agenda 2063 is both an opportunity and a warning. Failure to align with its pillars will mean marginalization in continental initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which Ghana hosts. If Ghana does not restructure its governance to match continental aspirations, it risks becoming a country of big speeches but little impact.
Why Restructuring is Urgent
Restructuring Ghana?s political system means more than constitutional amendments; it requires a paradigm shift in governance. Such reforms would:
Restore investor and tourist confidence by ensuring continuity and stability in policies.
Build citizen trust by moving beyond empty promises to concrete, measurable results.
Position Ghana regionally and globally as a leader in democratic innovation and development.
Secure long-term economic planning insulated from political cycles.
Policy Recommendations: Moving from Party to State
Adopt a Binding National Development FrameworkParliament must pass a National Development Act to institutionalize a 25- to 50-year development plan. This plan should be immune to political cycles and binding on all governments.
Strengthen Independent InstitutionsInstitutions such as the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Electoral Commission, and Auditor-General?s Office must be insulated from political interference and adequately resourced.
Constitutional ReformsA national conversation is needed to review the 1992 Constitution, particularly provisions that centralize excessive power in the executive and fuel partisan politics.
Citizen Engagement in Policy MakingPolicies must be people-centered, with broader consultation from civil society, academia, and the private sector. Citizens must see themselves not as passive voters but as co-creators of state policy.
Regional and Continental AlignmentGhana should align its policies with Agenda 2063 targets, particularly industrialization, education, intra-African trade, and technological innovation. This will position Ghana as a driver rather than a follower in Africa?s transformation.
Ghana?s democracy has served its people well in terms of stability, but stability without transformation is stagnation. The NDC?NPP cycle has reached its limits, and the nation now requires a bold restructuring of its political and policy architecture.
Moving from party policy to state policy is not just a political necessity?it is an economic, social, and continental imperative. As Africa accelerates toward Agenda 2063, Ghana must seize the moment to reinvent itself. To miss this opportunity is to risk being left behind in the very future it helped inspire.