By Celestine Avi and Seth Eyiah
Ghana’s Vice President,Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang officially chaired the inaugural meeting of the Presidential Advisory Group on the Economy (PAGE), urging members to focus on building an economy that is connected to the everyday realities of Ghanaian citizens.
Delivering her remarks, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang expressed gratitude to President John Mahama for establishing PAGE at a pivotal moment for the country. She noted that while economic stability is gradually returning and confidence is being rebuilt, the current moment must be used not only to recover but also to reset Ghana’s economic direction.
Commitment to Independent Advice
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang emphasized that PAGE’s mandate is clear and demanding: to provide independent, rigorous, and practical advice to support government. She explained that the group will complement existing institutions by offering insight, testing assumptions, and proposing solutions informed by global best practices and grounded in Ghana’s realities. The ultimate goal, she said, is to move the country from crisis management to durable success.
What the Economy Should Mean to Citizens
Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, urged members to continually reflect on what the economy should mean to ordinary Ghanaians;
“It should represent stability for teachers and nurses, fair prices and reliable markets for farmers, predictable costs and access to credit for traders and small business owners, stable incomes and affordable housing and transport for workers, opportunities and skills for young people, especially women, and security for labourers and dignity for the elderly,” she said.
She stressed that economic transformation must make the economy feel less distant and more connected to everyday life, ensuring that the benefits of growth are tangible for citizens.
Closing Commitment
Describing economic transformation as a national project, Prof, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang underscored that it requires discipline, trust, and shared responsibility across government, the private sector, labour, civil society, and development partners. She pledged that PAGE will provide independent, thorough, and practical leadership to support this collective effort and thanked the President for the confidence placed in the group.
PAGE Membership
The 12-member Presidential Advisory Group on the Economy (PAGE) comprises:
Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang (Vice President – Chairperson, PAGE
Mr. Ishmael Yamson – Private Sector Leader, fmr. member of PAGE
Mr. Kwame Pianim – Economist & Private Sector Leader, fmr. member of PAGE
Ms. Nana Oye Mansa Yeboaa- Former Deputy Minister of Finance & fmr. Deputy Governor, Bank of Ghana
Dr. Kwabena Duffuor – Economist, fmr. Governor – Bank of Ghana, /Fmr. Finance Minister
Sir Samuel Esson Jonah – Private Sector Leader & Industrialist
Mr. Ato Brown – Fmr. World Bank Infrastructure Specialist; Agribusiness Investor
Dr. Henry A. Kofi Wampah – Fmr. Governor, Bank of Ghana
Togbe Afede XIV – Economist & Private Sector Leader
Ms. Abena Amoa – Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Stock Exchange
Prof. Priscilla Twumasi Baffour- University Professor and Academic Researcher
Prof. Patience Aseweh Abor, Ph.D. – University Professor and Academic Researcher
