President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s “Ghana Beyond Aid” (GhaBA) agenda may have come to stay. It is continuously evoked domestically and in our foreign relations and multilateral/bilateral partnerships. Although commendable, and generally well received by Ghanaians and the international community, the President’s words have been short on detail.

Not only does the stated vision of a Ghana beyond aid come with no definite timetable, it also comes without a coherent policy framework or strategic plan articulating what it means and what it might take for Ghana to realize this bold vision. This has led critics, including Professor Philip Alston, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, to dismiss as sloganeering and political grandstanding, the GhaBA agenda. He warned that if government does not set its priorities well, the agenda will most likely not yield the desired change.