Ghana News Guide

Ghana’s Alvin Adigao Challenges World Leaders to Rethink Leadership at UNESCO Forum. @AlvinAdigao

President John Dramani Mahama is expected to launch the Ghana Heritage Series Banknotes on November 12, 2026, as the Bank of Ghana moves to modernise the currency and strengthen its security and durability. The new banknote series is designed to improve protection against counterfeiting, withstand prolonged circulation and make currency management more efficient and cost-effective. The launch will take place at the Bank Square in Accra under the theme, “The Cedi, Our Future: Secure, Designed to Last.”

Accra Hearts of Oak are celebrating 115 years of existence today, Wednesday, November 11, 115 years after the club's founding in 1911. In an anniversary message posted on X, the Phobians declared "115 YEARS OF PRIDE. 115 YEARS OF GLORY!", describing the club as born in 1911, built on passion and driven by an unbreakable spirit. The milestone comes three days after Hearts thrashed Heart of Lions 3-0 in a Ghana Premier League Matchweek 10 meeting at the University of Ghana Stadium in Legon on Sunday.

Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has announced a 2030 target to significantly improve foundational literacy, numeracy and psychosocial development among children aged four to eight in public and low-fee private schools across the country. She said the target formed part of the government’s 2026–2040 Foundational Learning Agenda, which seeks to address learning gaps and ensure that children acquire essential skills during their early years of education. Speaking at the launch of the agenda in Accra on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the initiative was intended to strengthen the foundations upon which children’s subsequent education and future opportunities depended.

Ghanaian dancehall musician Samini has addressed a viral flyer suggesting he plans to contest the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) parliamentary primaries in Ablekuma West, dismissing the publication as fake before later fuelling fresh speculation about his political intentions. Samini has dismissed a viral flyer claiming he intends to contest the NPP parliamentary primaries in Ablekuma West ahead of the 2028 elections, labelling it fake. The musician initially urged the public to disregard the flyer, writing, “Please disregard this!! Not true,” in a Facebook post. However, a subsequent cryptic response to a fan on X, featuring a photograph of himself beside the NPP logo, has reignited speculation about his political ambitions.

The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) is set to introduce a new National Condom and Lubricant Strategy in 2027, with a focus on improving the comfort, quality and acceptability of condoms to encourage consistent use. The strategy will introduce thinner condoms, more appropriate sizes, improved lubricants and easier-to-use products, including a more comfortable female condom. Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Kharmacelle Prosper Akanbong, says the new strategy draws lessons from challenges identified under the previous national strategy, which has expired. He made the announcement during the launch of the 2026 World AIDS Day in Accra.

Ghana and Slovakia have agreed to begin negotiations toward a visa-waiver agreement. Slovakia is also expected to host a bilateral business forum within two weeks, focusing on automotive manufacturing, banking and pharmaceuticals, alongside discussions about supplying buses and establishing a vehicle assembly plant in Ghana. Why it matters for Ghana: A negotiated mobility arrangement could strengthen bilateral engagement, while industrial partnerships could create employment and technology-transfer opportunities. My take: Despite no visa waiver having yet entered into force, and its eventual eligibility and scope remaining undetermined, it’ll be in the good light of our diplomacy if an agreement is made.

Parliament has rescinded its earlier passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, popularly known as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, paving the way for the House to reconsider the legislation and address inconsistencies in its provisions. Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin announced the decision on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, after the House voted to rescind its earlier resolution on the bill, which was adopted on May 29, 2026.

BoG announces that the Ghana cedi is getting a new look; the Heritage Series Banknotes is on the way on 12 November. Credit: BoG

Veteran Ghanaian actress Rose Mensah, widely known as Kyeiwaa, has opened up about the financial difficulties that influenced her decision to travel abroad in search of better opportunities. Kyeiwaa says she left Ghana to seek better opportunities abroad after struggling financially despite her popularity and continued appearances in movies. She recalled being mocked by passengers after they saw her travelling in a trotro while her films were still being shown, an experience that deepened her sadness and influenced her decision to relocate. Kyeiwaa defended her decision to undertake jobs such as carrying salt and washing chicken coops abroad, saying she prioritised earning an honest living over public opinion and criticism.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Isaac Tandoh, has called on the Government of China to treat illegal mining by its nationals in Ghana as a bilateral enforcement priority, warning that the conduct of a "lawless minority" is undermining a friendship built over six decades. Speaking at the China-Ghana Mining Cooperation Conference at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, Mr Tandoh said the integrity of the partnership between the two countries is being tested not in boardrooms, but in Ghana's rivers, forest reserves and farmlands. "Illegal small-scale mining has become an existential threat to our environment, our water bodies, and our national security. And in too many instances, Chinese nationals have been found at the centre of these illegal operations," he said.

President John Mahama has disclosed a new offshore oil discovery in the Deepwater Cape Three Points block within the Tano Basin. He made the announcement while addressing participants at the 2026 Petroleum Commission Local Content Conference and Exhibition in the Western Region. #JohnMahama #Ghana #OilDiscovery #TanoBasin #PetroleumIndustry #LocalContent #GhanaNews

Accra-based Traaple is advertising applications for its 2026/27 fellowship, offering five places across editorial and content, media and on-camera production, growth and distribution, product engineering, and sales and partnerships. The 12-month programme is designed around practical work, project ownership and professional development. Selection involves an application, a track-specific challenge, an interview and a final collaborative assessment. Eligibility: The programme targets candidates for the 2026/27 National Service year. The organiser does not clearly publish additional nationality, academic qualification or age requirements on the accessible page. Deadline: Not stated. Application steps: Select one of the five tracks, submit relevant work and answer the organiser’s application questions. The official application page is accessible, but the live submission form could not be independently confirmed as functional.

President John Dramani Mahama has announced a hydrocarbon discovery in the Deepwater Cape Three Points block offshore Ghana. The discovery was made by Planet 1 Oil and Gas Limited in partnership with Bowler Upstream Limited and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation. Speaking at the Petroleum Commission’s Local Content Conference in the Western Region, the President described the discovery as Ghana’s first successful test of a Cenomanian-Turonian carbonate play as a primary exploration target.

The Chief Justice has determined that a petition against Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang does not establish a prima facie case warranting further proceedings. According to a statement from the Presidency dated November 10, the petition filed by Edward Adeti failed to meet the constitutional threshold under Article 146(3). The Presidency says the matter is closed, with no further action required. The decision represents a new development concerning judicial accountability and constitutional procedures.

Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has confirmed that Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson will present Ghana’s 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy at 6:00 PM on Thursday, November 12. The Speaker approved the Finance Minister’s request for an evening presentation and indicated that Parliament would adjust its sitting arrangements accordingly. The budget is expected to outline the government’s New Economy programme, employment initiatives, revenue projections and expenditure priorities. Its actual allocations and policy measures remain unconfirmed until presentation.

Former Black Stars captain Jonathan Mensah has officially announced his retirement from professional football, bringing an end to a career that spanned nearly two decades and included some of Ghana's most memorable international achievements. The 36-year-old defender confirmed his decision in an emotional statement, reflecting on his journey from a young boy in Ghana to playing professionally across several countries and representing his nation at the highest level. “Today, I close one chapter with a heart full of gratitude. While my playing career comes to an end, my relationship with football never will,” Mensah wrote. Mensah described representing Ghana as the greatest honour of his career, recalling his involvement in the country's historic 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup triumph in Egypt and his subsequent senior international journey.

President John Dramani Mahama will sack officials who use their appointments to enrich themselves, according to Victor Smith, Ghana's Ambassador to the United States. Smith, a former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom who also told JoyNews on Monday that Ghana is finalising talks with Boeing on a new national airline, said the President is closely monitoring the conduct of his officials. "He has said that those he's given appointments to, if they think they've gone there to make money, they are joking because the moment he hears something, you're out. He fires you," Smith said. Recalling that Mahama had remarked in a sarcastic tone that "I'll surprise them," the envoy urged the President to back his warnings with action. "He must crack the whip as well when the time comes to crack the whip. We can't just say that we'll do it and we don't do it," he said in an interview on TV3.

Ghana's Office of the Special Prosecutor is probing GH¢49.7m spent on evacuating 1,964 nationals from South Africa following reported payment discrepancies, while Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa defends the operation's accounting. In a statement, the OSP said the exercise, which ran from May 27 to September 4, 2026, brought 1,964 Ghanaian nationals back to the country amid threats against foreign nationals. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported total expenditure of GH¢49,721,786 on the operation, covering chartered flights, commercial airline tickets, transportation, accommodation, feeding, medical services and reintegration allowances. The OSP said it was examining possible discrepancies between the reported expenditure and payment records, including duplicate entries, inadequate supporting documents and payments recorded against beneficiaries who claim they did not receive them.