The World Bank has called on African governments, including Ghana, to urgently improve how public resources are transformed into essential services, warning that public dissatisfaction is on the rise due to poor governance and weak service delivery.
According to the Bank’s latest Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) report for Sub-Saharan Africa, the region’s average policy performance score remained flat at 3.1 out of 6 in 2024, with many countries struggling to translate policies into real benefits for citizens.
The CPIA scores, which serve as a benchmark for international investors and donors, evaluate how well countries manage reforms and institutions to enable inclusive development.
Ghana, which has faced recent public agitation over cost of living, erratic utilities, and sluggish job creation, is not isolated from the trends cited in the report.
“Confidence in a government’s ability to efficiently transform public resources into essential services is fundamental to fostering a shared purpose with citizens and improving trust,” said Andrew Dabalen, Chief Economist for the World Bank’s Africa region.
This message is particularly relevant for Ghana, where public frustration has been mounting over issues such as sanitation failures, health care gaps, and deteriorating road networks in peri-urban and rural areas. Civil society groups have repeatedly demanded more transparency in the management of government contracts, particularly in sectors like infrastructure and social protection.
The CPIA report notes that while some African governments have taken bold fiscal steps — such as cutting fuel subsidies, streamlining bloated public sector wage bills, and embracing digital governance tools, the gains have often been uneven and not felt widely by ordinary citizens.
Weak Governance Undermining Service Delivery
In 2024, Africa witnessed a wave of youth-led protests and a dip in electoral support for incumbent governments, with surveys indicating widespread dissatisfaction with public services. The report reveals that infrastructure services like transport and sanitation remain underdeveloped, and that educational and health services fall far below global standards, curbing both economic potential and social mobility.
In Ghana, despite major investments in health and education, many communities still experience frequent medicine stockouts, teacher absenteeism, and unreliable water supply, highlighting a disconnect between spending and actual service quality.
The report also flagged administrative inefficiencies, noting that African countries, including Ghana, lag behind in providing services crucial to the business environment, such as timely land title processing, licensing, and access to credit.
“Addressing these fundamental challenges is not just about economic growth; it’s about showing people that governments can work for them,” said Nicholas Woolley, the report’s lead author.
Signs of Progress — But the Bar Is High
On the brighter side, the World Bank observed that some African countries are showing improved fiscal discipline, implementing trade facilitation reforms, and expanding social protection systems.
For Ghana, the introduction of the Ghana.gov digital platform, rollout of the Ghana Card, and cash transfer programs for vulnerable households under LEAP have been praised as positive developments. However, experts argue that these must be coupled with greater transparency, stronger accountability frameworks, and inclusive local governance to deliver real impact.
A Wake-Up Call for Ghana
The CPIA report is a timely reminder for Ghana’s policymakers , especially as the country works through an IMF program and faces continued pressure from citizens to demonstrate prudent use of borrowed and domestic funds.
With elections on the horizon in 2028 and trust in public institutions declining globally, Ghana’s path to inclusive development may well depend on its ability to show citizens the tangible benefits of governance, not just declare them.
In the words of the World Bank: “Populations across Africa are clearly asking for more from their leaders to enable them to realize their aspirations.” Ghana would do well to listen, and act.
