Claim: Akufo-Addo ended his second term with 30 ministries

Source: Presidential staffer Beatrice Annan on X

Verdict: False

Researched by Nusrat Essah

A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) communications team, Beatrice Annan, in a social media post, touted the achievements of President John Dramani Mahama within his first month in office.

On February 9, 2025, she shared a post on X titled; One Month Of H.E. John Dramani Mahama- Key Achievements/Actions/Interventions In Office.

The ninth point contained a claim that the erstwhile Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government left behind 30 ministries, which the current president had reduced to 23 via his first Executive Instrument (EI).

“Reduced ministries from 30 to 23,” she wrote.

Several media outlets also reported similar claims that Mahama reduced ministries from 30 to 23 (find here, here, here). 

This report seeks to verify whether the number of ministries under President Akufo-Addo’s administration was indeed 30.

Fact-Check

At the end of Akufo-Addo’s first term (2017-2021), the government was run with 36 ministries. However, at the start of his second term in 2021, the government underwent restructuring, and drastic reduction of the number of ministries.  

According to a press release from the Office of the Presidency dated January 21, 2021, this restructuring involved merging and realigning several ministries, which reduced the number of ministries to 28  from the previous 36.

“This will result in a total of twenty-eight (28) Ministries, down from the thirty-six (36) of his first term”, the statement said. 

Even though President Akufo-Addo appointed 30 ministers in all, which included a new Public Enterprise Minister and Minister of State for Works and Housing, these ministers were operating under existing ministries.  

The Public Enterprise Minister operated directly under the office of the presidency and not from a ministry. Also, the minister of state was assigned to the already existing Ministry of Works and Housing.

Fig 1: Screenshot of the public release by the Presidency communications directorate on January 2021

Fig 2: Executive Instrument on creation of ministries under Akufo-Addo in 2021

From the above, although 30 ministers were appointed, the number of ministries remained 28.

After restructuring in 2021, there were only 28 ministries, and not 30. The 30 ministers appointed do not equate to 30 ministries, as two of them held positions in existing ministries, not heading new ministries.

Verdict

The claim that the Akufo-Addo administration left behind 30 ministries is false.

Note: GhanaFact has shared our findings with Ms. Annan via Facebook Messenger, her response will be incorporated as and when we get it.