The educational qualifications of Ghana’s current economic managers

From technocrats to economists in revered fields, many Ghanaian leaders have been well-educated before they are elected, nominated or appointed to manage the economy of a country.

In terms of managing a middle-income country like Ghana, one would have to be associated with varied educational credentials which will span across development, economics, statistics, and political science, among others.

This quest to get educated adds more value to one’s life and offers more opportunities in the present and near future.

In this GhanaWeb Business article, we take a look at the educational pedigree of some of the current economic managers in the country.

Ken Ofori-Atta – Finance Minister

Ghana’s current Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Ken Ofori-Atta is a key figure in the management of the country’s economy, just like the others who have occupied the position.

He is one of the longest-serving ministers of finance in Ghana. Ofori-Atta is an economist, investment banker, and co-founder of Databank Group, a financial services firm.

Prior to being appointed as the Minister of Finance in 2017, Ken Ofori-Atta had his secondary school education at the Achimota School in Accra, after attending the Accra Newtown Experimental School (ANT 1), where Tsatsu Tsikata also had his primary education.

He then proceeded to have a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the reputable Columbia University in the United States (1984), and later earned an MBA from the Yale University School of Management in 1988.

Ken Ofori-Atta is also a member of the prominent Ofori-Atta family which has been influential in politics, law, chieftaincy, and business.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia – Vice President, Ghana

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is also another key figure in Ghana’s economic management. The astute economist is currently the Head of the Economic Management Team under the Akufo-Addo administration.

Prior to his political journey, he was and still remains an economist and a former banker with vast experience from having worked at the International Monetary Fund, the Bank of Ghana, among others.

Dr Bawumia, who is currently serving as Ghana’s Vice President, attended the Sakasaka Primary school in Tamale and gained admission to the Tamale Secondary School in 1975.

After graduating from Tamale Secondary School, he went to the United Kingdom where he studied banking and obtained the Chartered Institute of Bankers Diploma (ACIB).

He earned himself a First-Class Honours Degree in Economics at Buckingham University in 1987 and later obtained a master’s degree in Economics at Lincoln College, Oxford.

Years on, Dr Bawumia earned a Ph.D. in Economics at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1995.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is known for championing the governing NPP’s digitisation agenda. He also specializes in macroeconomics, international economics, development economics, and monetary policy.

Dr. Ernest Addison – Bank of Ghana Governor

Dr Ernest Kwamina Yedu Addison is an economist and the 15th Governor of the Bank of Ghana.

He attended the Methodist College and the Mfantsipim School for his primary and secondary. Dr Addison then proceeded to the University of Ghana and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from 1982 to 1986.

From 1987 to 1989, he obtained an M.Phil in Economics and Politics from the University of Cambridge in England and later a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Economics from McGill University in Canada.

Before he was appointed Governor of the BoG, Dr Addison served as the former Director of Research at the Bank of Ghana from 2003 to 2011, as well as an Economist at the African Development Bank.

He specializes in financial policy and economic management.