Alan Kyerematen to Deliver Public Lecture on Ghana's Economic Transformation on September 23

Founder and leader of the United Party (UP), Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, is scheduled to deliver a public lecture in Accra on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, focusing on the future direction of Ghana’s economy.

The lecture, organised by the Center for Strategic African Development (CENSADEV), is being held under the theme “Transformation of the Ghanaian Economy: From Stability to Prosperity.”

According to the event flyer, the programme will take place at the British Council Hall in Accra at 5:00 p.m.

The event comes at a significant point in Ghana’s economic debate, with recent official data showing a combination of stronger economic growth and substantially lower inflation, while questions remain about how macroeconomic improvements can translate into broader industrial development, employment, investment and household prosperity.

The theme of the lecture suggests a focus not simply on economic stabilisation, but on the policies and structural changes required to convert improved macroeconomic conditions into sustained economic transformation.

Ghana Statistical Service data indicate that the economy grew by 6.0% in the second quarter of 2026, while headline inflation stood at 5.0% in August 2026.

The first quarter had recorded economic growth of 6.4%. 

The figures represent an important change from the severe economic pressures Ghana experienced in the preceding years. The International Monetary Fund said in July 2026 that Ghana had made substantial progress in macroeconomic stabilisation and debt sustainability, noting that real GDP grew by 6% in 2025 and 6.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026. 

The central question now is how such stabilisation can be converted into productive capacity, higher incomes and long-term economic resilience.

It is against that backdrop that Kyerematen’s lecture is expected to examine the transition from what its organisers describe as “stability” to “prosperity.”

Alan Kyerematen has previously placed economic transformation, private enterprise, industrialisation and entrepreneurship at the centre of his political and economic agenda.

During the 2024 election period, he launched what he called the Great Transformational Plan (GTP), a policy framework built around the objective of moving Ghana from instability through stability and growth towards resilience and prosperity.

The plan covered six broad areas, including the economy, governance, infrastructure, social services, environment, science and technology, natural-resource management, as well as behavioural and mindset change. 

At the launch of the plan, Kyerematen argued for an enterprise-driven economy in which private businesses, innovation and entrepreneurship would play a central role in national development. 

He also previously outlined proposals concerning public-sector efficiency, procurement, industrial development and government expenditure.

Among the proposals he announced in 2024 was a commitment to a leaner administration and changes to the use of sole-source procurement. 

The forthcoming lecture therefore provides an opportunity for Kyerematen to revisit or expand on economic ideas he has articulated previously, although the event flyer itself does not provide details of the specific proposals he intends to present.

Ghana’s recent economic statistics provide an important backdrop to the discussion.

According to the Ghana Statistical Service, annual consumer-price inflation was 5.0% in August 2026, while second-quarter GDP growth was recorded at 6.0%. 

The IMF has similarly described Ghana’s recent progress in terms of macroeconomic stabilisation. Its July 2026 assessment said inflation had fallen sharply, reserves had nearly doubled by the end of 2025, the primary fiscal balance had moved into surplus and Ghana’s debt-distress risk had been upgraded to moderate. 

But economic stability and economic transformation are not necessarily synonymous.

Stabilisation concerns issues such as inflation, fiscal balances, debt sustainability, exchange-rate conditions and reserves. Transformation involves broader questions: whether Ghana can expand productive industries, create sufficiently large numbers of quality jobs, increase domestic value addition, develop competitive businesses, improve productivity and reduce dependence on imported goods.

Those questions are likely to be particularly relevant to a lecture delivered by Kyerematen, given his previous emphasis on industrialisation and private-sector development.

The event is being organised by the Center for Strategic African Development (CENSADEV), an Africa-focused development organisation based in Accra.

CENSADEV describes itself as an Africa-based, Africa-led and Africa-focused organisation providing technical assistance for policy implementation and supporting strategic initiatives at national, regional and continental levels.

Its stated areas of work include economic planning and development, trade, investment and finance, industry, energy and mining, infrastructure, digitalisation, agriculture and agribusiness, governance, and science and technology. 

That institutional focus makes economic transformation a natural subject for the organisation’s public-engagement activities.

After leaving the New Patriotic Party and contesting the 2024 presidential election as an independent candidate, his Movement for Change subsequently evolved into the United Party (UP Plus) in October 2025.

Contemporary reports said the party was positioning itself around economic progress, accountability, inclusive governance and an alternative to Ghana’s established political parties. 

Mr Kyerematen has consistently presented his political project as one centred on economic transformation and a departure from what he has described as Ghana’s longstanding two-party political structure.

The forthcoming lecture, however, is presented by CENSADEV as a public lecture on the Ghanaian economy, rather than an election campaign event, according to the material contained in the event announcement.

Several issues could shape the significance of the address.

First is industrialisation. Ghana has long sought to move beyond dependence on the export of relatively unprocessed commodities.

A key question is what specific industries can generate large-scale employment and domestic value addition.

Second is the private sector. Kyerematen’s previous policy proposals have placed substantial emphasis on enterprise and entrepreneurship.

The lecture could therefore provide an opportunity to discuss financing, taxation, infrastructure, regulation and access to markets for Ghanaian businesses.

Third is employment. While headline GDP growth provides an important measure of economic performance, employment and household incomes are central to how economic transformation is experienced by citizens.

GSS currently reports an unemployment rate of 13.0% from its third-quarter 2025 labour-force data. 

Fourth is fiscal and debt sustainability. Ghana’s recent stabilisation has taken place alongside a major debt-restructuring programme.

The IMF has stressed that continued implementation of reforms will be important for maintaining macroeconomic stability while creating room for development priorities. 

Fifth is the relationship between growth and living standards. Ghana’s recent growth numbers raise the question of how national economic expansion can translate into higher real incomes, stronger businesses and improved opportunities across different regions and sectors.

With the Ghanaian economy showing stronger growth and much lower inflation than during the country’s recent economic crisis, the policy debate is increasingly shifting from emergency stabilisation toward questions of the country’s longer-term development model.

The title of Kyerematen’s lecture — “Transformation of the Ghanaian Economy: From Stability to Prosperity” — captures that transition.

Whether the address focuses on industrial policy, entrepreneurship, investment, public-sector reform, agriculture, technology, infrastructure or broader institutional reforms, its importance will ultimately depend on the specificity of the proposals presented and how they address the structural challenges facing Ghana’s economy.

The lecture is therefore set to provide another platform for debate over one of Ghana’s central economic questions: how to move from restoring macroeconomic stability to building a productive, competitive and broadly prosperous economy.