In the run-up to the 2024 general elections, then-candidate John Dramani Mahama for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) launched a 120-day social contract document pledging several interventions within his first four months as President.
This document, different from the party’s 200-page manifesto, contained 25 promises covering the economy, education, social interventions, tourism, and governance sectors.
On February 11, 2025, the President inaugurated a task force led by Dr Valerie Sawyer to oversee the implementation of the 120-day social contract.
This means Wednesday, May 7, 2025, marks the 120th day of the John Dramani Mahama administration, and as part of GhanaFact’s PROMISE METER project, we have verified whether the government has kept its promises to the Ghanaian public.
From our analysis of the 120-day social contract, the president kept 13 promises (representing 52% of promises). The broken promises, partially kept and promises in the works were 4 each, (representing 16% each).
We have previously assessed promises that were supposed to be kept within 14 days and 90 days after the NDC assumed power – Promises 1, 2, 5, and 6. (Full report)
| No. | Promises | Verdict |
| 1 | Nominate within the first 14 days the complete list of Cabinet Ministers for parliamentary approval. | Promise Kept |
| 2 | Constitute the LEANEST AND MOST EFFICIENT government under the fourth republic in my first 90 days in office. | In the Works |
| 5 | Within my first 90 days in office, scrap the following draconian taxes to alleviate hardships and ease the high cost of doing business: E-levy, COVID levy, 10% levy on bet winnings, and Emissions levy. | Partially Kept |
| 6 | Within my first 90 days in office, review taxes and levies on vehicles and equipment imported into the country for industrial and agricultural purposes. | Promise Broken |
Below are details of the remaining 21 promises that were made by the President.
BROKEN PROMISES
Promise
Commence the review of the Customs (Amendment) Act 2020 to scrap the law banning the importation of salvaged vehicles to rescue the local automotive industry at Suame Magazine, Kokompe, Abossey Okai, among others.
Fact-Check
There is no mention of this promise in the 2025 budget or in parliament. No update has been issued publicly. Therefore, the promise is unfulfilled.
Verdict
The team rates this as PROMISE BROKEN.
Promise
Commence investigative processes to purge state security agencies of all militia and vigilante elements.
Fact-Check
There has been no evidence publicly of any investigative processes initiated to achieve this.
Therefore, this promise is unfulfilled
Verdict
The team rates this as PROMISE BROKEN
PARTIALLY KEPT PROMISES
Promise
“Ban illegal and new mining activities in forest reserves. Roll out our ‘Tree for Life’ and Blue Water Initiative’ to heal and sustainably harness the environment by turning areas and water bodies degraded by illegal mining into economic and ecological recovery hubs.”
Fact-Check
The 2025 Budget outlined the government’s plan to implement the ‘Tree for Life’ restoration policy and the ‘Blue Water Initiative’
“Mr. Speaker, as part of the efforts to reclaim degraded forests, the Ministry will implement a ‘Tree for Life’ restoration policy and Blue Water Initiative to heal and harness the environment by turning degraded mined-out areas into ecological recovery hubs,” the budget had read.
Subsequently, on March 17, 2025, the ‘Blue Water Initiative’ was officially launched. As stated by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, it “will equip 2,000 Ghanaian youth with the skills and knowledge necessary to safeguard Ghana’s river bodies effectively.”
On March 21, 2025, President Mahama officially launched the ‘Tree for Life’ initiative to plant 7 million trees and restore the environment.
However, there has not been the announcement of a ban on illegal and new mining activities in forest reserves, therefore, the promise is not fully achieved.
Verdict
The team rates this as PARTIALLY KEPT
Promise
Re-open investigations into major unresolved criminal cases, including the 2020 election killings, Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence, murder of Ahmed Hussein-Suale, and Silas Wulochamey.
Fact-Check
On January 10, 2025, President Mahama ordered the Inspector General of Police to reopen investigations into election-related killings in the 2020 and 2024 elections.
Further, on March 26, 2025, during a courtesy call by the Ghana Bar Association, Mahama called for the immediate interrogation of a suspect linked to the murder of journalist Ahmed Suale.
Verdict
The team rates this as PARTIALLY KEPT
Promise
Initiate immediate steps to compensate the flood victims, including those in the Oti, Bono East, and Savanna regions.
Fact-Check
The 2025 budget allocated GH¢242.5 million for victims of the Akosombo dam spillage only. No allocation was made for flood victims in the Oti, Bono East, or Savannah region.
“Mr. Speaker, we have allocated GH¢242.5 million to support victims of the Akosombo dam spillage,” the budget reads.
Verdict
The team rates this as PARTIALLY KEPT
Promise
Initiate a probe into the man-made disaster caused by the VRA’s spillage from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams that displaced and destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of citizens in the Volta, Eastern, and Greater Accra.
Fact-Check
On March 14, 2025, the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, inaugurated a five-member committee to investigate the issues arising from the flooding caused by the spillage of the Akosombo Dam.
This committee was tasked with only the spillage of Akosombo Dam. No probe has been initiated into the spillage of the Kpong Dam as contained in the promise.
Verdict
The team rates this as PROMISE PARTIALLY KEPT
PROMISES IN THE WORKS
Promise
Institute inquiries and/or forensic audits into the following matters of public interest: The collapse of Indigenous Ghanaian banks and financial institutions at a supposed cost of GHS 25 billion, illegal printing of money, the US$58 million National Cathedral scandal, illegal and inflated single sourced contracts, COVID-19 expenditure scandal, PDS, Agyapa, SML, Ambulance spare parts deal, 13th African Games, Sky Train, Pwalugu Dam, Maths Sets, Galamsey Fraud, missing excavators and tricycles, Sputnik-V, BOST Scandal, and others…
Fact-Check
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, April 30, Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, disclosed that investigations into the Sky Train project have been concluded and his office is set to file criminal charges in the following week.
Among all listed matters, only the Sky Train project has seen conclusive investigation.
Verdict
This promise is still IN THE WORKS
Promise
Lay before parliament a new bill to streamline government scholarship administration, prohibit political appointees from accessing government scholarships, and eliminate political patronage, cronyism, nepotism, and corruption in awarding government scholarships.
Fact-Check
Government has announced plans to lay a Bill on scholarships to Parliament when MPs resume from recess. This was disclosed during the inauguration of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) Board of Trustees on April 11, 2025.
The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu said: ““I am happy to note that President Mahama has requested that as soon as Parliament convenes, I lay before Parliament a new scholarship bill to respond to the negative cronyism and nepotism associated with the award of government scholarship.”
However, this new scholarship Bill has not yet been laid before parliament.
Verdict
The team rates this as IN THE WORKS
Promise
Carry out a shakeup of all loss-making SOEs and realign them to break even and transition into profit-making
Fact-Check
A number of SOEs including loss-making ones have had their heads replaced since Mahama took over in January 2025.
During a meeting with heads of SOEs on March 13, 2025, President Mahama warned the CEOs to undertake efforts to make their entities profitable or risk being merged or scrapped.
At the event, Mahama said SIGA “will evolve from a passive observer into an empowered enforcer of national interest. SIGA will act as a command center and be equipped with executive authority to, one, negotiate and enforce performance contracts with heads of entities.”
“Loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated. They will be swiftly reformed, they will be merged, privatized or shut down,” he added.
Verdict
The team rates this as IN THE WORKS.
PROMISES KEPT
Promise
Establish a robust CODE OF CONDUCT AND STANDARDS for all government officials.
Fact-Check
On February 7, 2025, President Mahama announced the plan to introduce the code of conduct and standards for government officials in the coming days.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of approved ministers at the Jubilee House, he said:
“Let me take this opportunity to remind you all that in the coming days as promised in our 120-day plan, I will be outdooring a code of conduct and standards for all government officials to guide the conduct of all our appointees. …You must make this code of conduct your guide and keep it like a bible by your bedside before you take any action.” (11mins: 44 secs to 12 mins: 20 secs)
The Code of Conduct and Standards for all government officials was officially launched by President Mahama on May 5, 2025.
“In my 120-days social contract, the people of Ghana, I pledged to restore discipline, integrity, and accountability into our governance. Today, we are taking an important step towards fulfilling that promise with the official launch of the code of conduct for political appointees. This code represents a bold declaration of the standards we must uphold as servants of the public,” he said.
Verdict
The team rates this as PROMISE KEPT.
Promise
“Hold a National Economic Dialogue to discuss the true state of the economy and prepare a homegrown fiscal consolidation programme to guide the budget”
Fact-Check
The National Economic Dialogue was held at the Accra International Conference Center on March 3 and March 4, 2025. The event brought together policy makers, economists, industry leaders, and other professionals from various fields to discuss the state of Ghana’s economy and explore homegrown solutions.
This dialogue was carried out 24 days after President Mahama resumed office on January 7, 2025.
Verdict
The team rates this as PROMISE KEPT.
Promise
Commence drafting needed legal amendments and prepare for implementing the 24-Hour Economy Policy under the Office of the President.
Fact-Check
Presidential Advisor on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Council, Augustus Goosie Tanoh, is said to have briefed the Cabinet on progress towards implementing the 24-Hour Economy Policy.
At a press briefing on February 20, 2025, government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu stated:
“The briefing by Mr. Tannoh and his team shows that we are on course to ensuring a smooth take off and in due course the 24-hour secretariat will be engaging the Ghanaian media so that through you they can appraise the people of Ghana as to where things stand.”
This indicates that work has commenced on the legal amendment and preparation for the 24-hour economy policy.
A 19-member Presidential Committee on Accelerated Export Development (PCAED) has also been formed. This committee, inaugurated on May 6, 2025, is a strategic initiative under the President’s 24-Hour Economy and Export Development Programme aimed at transforming Ghana into a globally competitive, export-driven economy.
Verdict
The Team rates this as PROMISE KEPT
Promise
Establish an Accelerated Export Development Council (AEDC) to promote exports as part of a broader strategy for economic transformation.
Fact-Check
The Accelerated Export Development Council(AEDC) was officially inaugurated by President Mahama on May 5, 2025.
The Presidential advisor for the 24-hour economy and the AEDC, Augustus Goosie Tannoh, noted that “this marks the fulfillment of an important promise made by the President to personally work with industry leaders to remove the bottlenecks and disincentives to rapid expansion of Ghana’s export sector.”
Verdict
The Team rates this as PROMISE KEPT
Promise
“Convene a national consultative conference on EDUCATION to build consensus on needed improvements to the sector”
Fact-Check
President Mahama launched the National Education Consultative Forums on February 18, 2025, 42 days after he was sworn into office.
In his speech, he said “So today, we begin an important journey of consensus-building in an important sector: education. For many years, we’ve watched education standards decline significantly. We have, individually and collectively, expressed our views on how we believe the education sector’s problems can be addressed.”
“This moment marks a significant step in fulfilling one of the commitments of our 120-day social contract with the good people of Ghana, a commitment to build consensus on the urgent and necessary reforms needed to reset our education sector,” he further stated.
Verdict
The team rates this as PROMISE KEPT
Promise
Introduce the following social interventions: Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities, the Ghana Medical Care Trust (MahamaCares) Fund.
Fact-Check
In the 2025 budget, these interventions were announced by Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson.
On April 29, 2025, President Mahama launched the Ghana Medical Care Trust Fund, also known as the Mahama Cares. He noted that this is not just an initiative but “hope for thousands of Ghanaians living with chronic diseases.”
“Today we are launching more than just an initiative, we are launching hope- hope for thousands of Ghanaians living with chronic diseases, hope for families battling the overwhelming costs of care, hope for a future where the quality of life is not determined by one’s ability to pay for essential treatment necessary.”
In the 2025 budget, the Finance Minister noted that uncapping the GETFund provides full funding for the implementation of Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disability (PWDs)
“Mr. Speaker, the main concern about the sustainability of the Free Senior High School Programme has been the absence of a dedicated source of funding. This concern has now been resolved by the uncapping of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), freeing resources for the full funding of the Free Senior High School education and Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disability (PWDs), ” the budget reads
Therefore these promises have been achieved.
Verdict
The team rates this as PROMISE KEPT
Promise
Commence the distribution of free sanitary pads to female students in primary and secondary schools
Fact-Check
The Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson announced in the 2025 budget plans to commence the distribution of free sanitary pads to female students. An amount of GH¢292.4 million was allocated to this initiative.
“Mr. Speaker, we have allocated GH¢292.4 million to commence the distribution of free sanitary pads to female students in primary and secondary schools,” the budget read.
The Free Sanitary Pad initiative which involves a collaboration of three ministries, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning was launched and commenced on April 24, 2025 at the SDA cluster of schools park at Mamprobi, Accra.
The minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey encouraged all to “commit to working hand in hand to break the silence around menstruation, end period poverty and create a society where every girl can thrive with confidence and pride and dignity.”
Verdict
The team rates this as PROMISE KEPT
Promise
Institute a government policy banning political appointees from purchasing state assets.
Fact-Check
As part of the key principles and provisions outlined in the Code of Conduct and Standards launched by President Mahama on May 5, 2025, a policy banning political appointees from purchasing state assets was instituted.
President Mahama specifically stated: “Prohibition on purchasing state assets. No political appointee under this administration is permitted to purchase state assets whether land, vehicles, shares or buildings directly or indirectly. If you attempt to do so and you have found out, your appointment will be terminated. We are here to protect the national interest not to help ourselves to the national purse”(6 mins:18 secs to 6 mins:45 secs)
Therefore, the government policy banning political appointees from purchasing state assets was instituted on May 5, 2025.
Verdict
The team rates this as PROMISE KEPT
Promise
“Allocate seed money for the establishment of the Women’s Development Bank”
Fact-Check
In the 2025 budget presented on March 11, 2025, the finance minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, announced the allocation of seed money for the establishment of the Women’s Development Bank.
Under the 2025 Allocations to Key Policy Initiatives and Interventions, the budget stated:
“Mr. Speaker, we have also allocated GH¢51.3 million as seed fund for the establishment of the Women’s Development Bank.”
Verdict
The team rates this as PROMISE KEPT
Promise
“Launch the following priority job creation programmes in the first budget: ‘Adwumawura’ Programme, ‘National Apprenticeship Programme’ and ‘One Million Coders Programme’”
Fact-Check
In the 2025 budget presented on March 11, 2025, the finance minister announced plans and budgetary allocations for these initiatives.
- GH¢300 million was allocated to the National Apprenticeship Programme
- GH¢100 million to the ‘Adwumawura’, and
- GH¢100 million to the National Coders Programme
The One Million Coders Programme was launched at the Ghana- India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT on April 16, 2025, 99 days after President Mahama was sworn into office.
On April 28, 2025, the Adwumawura Programme was launched in Kumasi while on April 30, 2025, the ‘National Apprenticeship Programme’ was launched at the University of Development Studies (UDS) Tamale Auditorium. The programme is targeted to train over 10,000 young people.
Verdict
The team rates this as PROMISE KEPT
Promise
Launch ‘The Black Star Experience’ initiative as Ghana’s flagship Culture, Arts and Tourism brand to transform Ghana into a preferred tourism destination
Fact-Check
Presenting the 2025 budget on March 11, 2025, the finance minister announced plans to initiate the ‘Black Star Experience’ as a unique Ghanaian Tourism Brand.
“Mr. Speaker, in 2025, the Ministry will initiate the ‘Black Star Experience’ which aims to establish Ghana as the gateway to Africa for the global Diaspora, featuring curated cultural, historical, and creative art experience in collaboration with the private sector, diplomatic missions, MDAs/MMDAs and position the ‘Black Star Experience’ as a uniquely Ghanaian Tourism Brand.”
On May 1, 2025, at the Black Star Square in Accra, President Mahama officially launched ‘The Black Star Experience,’ where he noted that ‘The Black Star Experience’ is ‘our solemn pledge to rebrand Ghana, create jobs and attract global investment.”
In his speech, he stated: “During the campaign of last year, 2024, I promised to launch this initiative as part of the 120-day compact of my administration with Ghanaians. Today, I stand here to deliver on that promise. But ladies and gentlemen, we are just getting started.”
This was launched 113 days after President Mahama was sworn into office.
Verdict
The team rates this as PROMISE KEPT
Promise
Implement the ‘No-Academic-Fee’ policy for all first-year students in public tertiary institutions (universities, colleges of education, nursing training institutions, etc.).
Fact-Check
In the 2025 budget, presented on March 11, 2025, the finance minister announced plans and allocated funding for the implementation of the ‘No Academic Fee-policy’
“Mr. Speaker, an amount of GH¢499.8 million has been allocated for the No-Academic-Fee policy for all first-year students in public tertiary institutions under the ‘No-FeesStress’ initiative,” he said.
Verdict
The team rates this as PROMISE KEPT
| No. | Promise Details | Status | Date |
| 1 | Nominate within the first 14 days the complete list of Cabinet Ministers for parliamentary approval. | Kept | January 21 |
| 2 | Constitute the LEANEST AND MOST EFFICIENT government under the fourth republic in my first 90 days in office | In the works | |
| 3 | Establish a robust CODE OF CONDUCT AND STANDARDS for all government officials. | Kept | May 5 |
| 4 | Hold a National Economic Dialogue to discuss the true state of the economy and prepare a homegrown fiscal consolidation programme to guide the budget. | Kept | March 3 and 4 |
| 5 | Within my first 90 days in office, scrap the following draconian taxes to alleviate hardships and ease the high cost of doing business: E-levy, COVID levy, 10% levy on bet winnings, and Emissions levy. | Partially kept | March 13 |
| 6 | Within my first 90 days in office, review taxes and levies on vehicles and equipment imported into the country for industrial and agricultural purposes. | Broken | |
| 7 | Commence drafting needed legal amendments and prepare for implementing the 24-Hour Economy Policy under the Office of the President. | Kept | May 6 |
| 8 | Establish an Accelerated Export Development Council (AEDC) to promote exports as part of a broader strategy for economic transformation. | Kept | May 5 |
| 9 | Convene a national consultative conference on EDUCATION to build consensus on needed improvements to the sector. | Kept | February 18 |
| 10 | Implement the ‘No-Academic-Fee’ policy for all first-year students in public tertiary institutions—universities, colleges of education, nursing training institutions, etc.). | Kept | March 11 |
| 11 | Introduce the following social interventions: Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities, the Ghana Medical Care Trust (MahamaCares) Fund. | Kept | March 11
April 29 |
| 12 | Commence the distribution of free sanitary pads to female students in primary and secondary schools | Kept | April 24 |
| 13 | Institute inquiries and/or forensic audits into the following matters of public interest: The collapse of Indigenous Ghanaian banks and financial institutions at a supposed cost of GHS 25 billion, illegal printing of money, the US$58 million National Cathedral scandal, illegal and inflated single sourced contracts, COVID-19 expenditure scandal, PDS, Agyapa, SML, Ambulance spare parts deal, 13th African Games, Sky Train, Pwalugu Dam, Maths Sets, Galamsey Fraud, missing excavators and tricycles, Sputnik-V, BOST Scandal, and others… | In the works | SkyTrain April 30 |
| 14 | Institute a government policy banning political appointees from purchasing state assets. | Kept | May 5 |
| 15 | Allocate seed money for the establishment of the Women’s Development Bank. | Kept | March 11 |
| 16 | Launch the following priority job creation programmes in the first budget: ‘Adwumawura’ Programme, ‘National Apprenticeship Programme’ and ‘One Million Coders Programme’ | Kept | April 28, 30, 16 |
| 17 | Commence the review of the Customs (Amendment) Act 2020 to scrap the law banning the importation of salvaged vehicles to rescue the local automotive industry at Suame Magazine, Kokompe, Abossey Okai, among others. | Broken | |
| 18 | Lay before parliament a new bill to streamline government scholarship administration, prohibit political appointees from accessing government scholarships, and eliminate political patronage, cronyism, nepotism, and corruption in awarding government scholarships. | In the works | April 15 |
| 19 | Ban illegal and new mining activities in forest reserves. Roll out our ‘Tree for Life’ and Blue Water Initiative’ to heal and sustainably harness the environment by turning areas and water bodies degraded by illegal mining into economic and ecological recovery hubs. | Partially kept | March 17
March 21 |
| 20 | Launch ‘The Black Star Experience’ initiative as Ghana’s flagship Culture, Arts and Tourism brand to transform Ghana into a preferred tourism destination | Kept | May 1 |
| 21 | Commence investigative processes to purge state security agencies of all militia and vigilante elements. | Broken | |
| 22 | Re-open investigations into major unresolved criminal cases including the 2020 election killings, Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence, murder of Ahmed Hussein-Suale and Silas Wulochamey. | Partially kept | January 10 |
| 23 | Initiate a probe into the man-made disaster caused by the VRA’s spillage from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams that displaced and destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of citizens in the Volta, Eastern, and Greater Accra. | Partially kept | March 14 |
| 24 | Initiate immediate steps to compensate the flood victims, including those in the Oti, Bono East and Savanna regions | Partially kept | March 11 |
| 25 | Carry out a shakeup of all loss-making SOEs and realign them to break even and transition into profit-making | In the Works | March 13 |
Research by GhanaFact newsroom
Project lead – Nusrat Essah
