Ghana elections: Mahamudu Bawumia's 'digital economy' versus John Mahama's '24-hour economy'

To curb unemployment, Mahamudu Bawumia has promised a "digital economy" and John Mahama a "24-hour economy".

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersWhat an accountant-turned mechanic says about Ghana's electionErnest Ansah / BBCUnable to get a job as an accountant since graduating five years ago, Ghanaian Nathaniel Qainoo has been forced to swap his calculator for a spanner.

The 29-year-old was busy repairing a taxi under the shade of a mango tree when the BBC met him at his home in the small town of Kasoa, about 30km (18 miles) from the capital Accra.

He often spoke of "the hardship" - a phrase that has become common in Ghana since the nation plunged into a deep economic crisis in 2022.

This was the year when the government defaulted on its debt repayments, international rating agencies downgraded Ghana's creditworthiness to "junk status", and inflation skyrocketed to 54%. To add to the woes of Ghanaians, their currency, the cedi, has lost 70% of its value in the past eight years.

This forced Ghana to secure a $3bn (£2.4bn) bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The economic recovery efforts have been costly, resulting in significant losses for pensioners and investors who held government bonds.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqx8r44e5vvo

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