Accra: Professor of Finance and Economics at the University of Ghana, Godfred Bokpin, has warned that Ghana risks returning to another programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) within the next decade if persistent structural challenges in the economy are not decisively addressed.
According to Ghana Web, Ghana's recurring dependence on IMF support reflects deep-rooted economic weaknesses that successive governments have failed to resolve over the years. Speaking at the 2026 Axis Pension Trust Pension Strategy Conference in Accra on May 20, 2026, Professor Bokpin said Ghana's repeated return to the IMF demonstrates the country's inability to implement lasting structural reforms capable of preventing future economic crises.
Professor Bokpin emphasized that if Ghana were learning from past programmes with determination, it should be able to identify the recurring issues leading to IMF dependency. He highlighted that the country's current economic difficulties mirror the same conditions that pushed Ghana to seek IMF assistance several decades ago. He stated that the reasons cited by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah for approaching the IMF are not substantially different from those cited in 2022 for the current programme.
The professor called for urgent structural reforms focused on strengthening fiscal discipline, improving productivity, and reducing the country's reliance on external financial support. An analysis conducted following the government's announcement to exit the current IMF programme suggests that Ghana could require another bailout arrangement by 2032 or 2033 if current trends persist.
Professor Bokpin also raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of Ghana's pension system, warning that delayed reforms and mounting fiscal pressures could worsen the situation in the coming years.