President John Dramani Mahama is set to deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Friday, February 27.

The SONA delivery is in accordance with Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution. The date for the SONA was announced by the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business during the Friday, February 21, Parliamentary sitting, while presenting the Business Statement to the House.

He noted that the President will formally be welcomed to the Chamber by 10 am, hence he charged Members of Parliament (MPs) to be seated by 9:15 a.m.

The address covers the economic, social, and financial state of the country, highlighting achievements, challenges, and outlining government plans for the year. It serves as both an accountability mechanism reporting to citizens through Parliament and a policy roadmap setting out the government’s agenda.

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, is expected to preside over the sitting, which would bring together Members of Parliament, government officials, the diplomatic corps, and other invited dignitaries.

This will mark President Mahama’s second SONA since he assumed office after winning the 2024 elections. His maiden address was delivered on Thursday, February 27, 2025. That address highlighted challenges the country was facing at the time, such as high inflation, unemployment, and financial distress, promising fiscal discipline and reforms to restore stability.

He also highlighted measures his government is set to undertake to restore investor confidence, which was lost during the Akufo-Addo-led administration due to the heavy depreciation of the cedi, an increase in tax rates, among other economic crises.

Addressing one of the major environmental challenges, galamsey, which is eating into the cloths of the Ghanaian forests and water bodies, he vowed to ensure stronger enforcement to protect water bodies and the environment.

On corruption, he vowed to bring all corrupt officials to book, both those under his government and those who worked under the erstwhile government. His administration had already launched a flagship anti-corruption initiative in December 2024, after the elections. The initiative called Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) is aimed at recovering misappropriated state funds, properties, and assets from previous administrations and ensuring accountability.

On education, highlighted reforms to improve access, infrastructure, and teacher support while pledging expanded healthcare and support for vulnerable groups such as Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

Also, during his 2025 SONA address, President John Dramani Mahama reassured bondholders of the government's commitment to fulfilling its debt obligations, emphasising that every pesewa owed will be repaid in full.

He highlighted the government's proactive approach to debt management, including the creation of financial buffers to ensure the timely repayment of both domestic and external debt.

“As we have done previously, we are building buffers in the sinking funds and adopting prudent debt management practices to ensure the prompt repayment of upcoming domestic and external debt maturities," he stated.

Mahama further disclosed that the government had successfully settled a matured coupon payment amounting to $6.081 billion in cash and $3.46 billion in kind for all domestic debt exchange programme bondholders due in February 2025.

“The good news is that we have built additional buffers in the sinking funds to honor the maturing bonds due in July and August. Bondholders can rest assured that they will be paid to the last pesewa that is owed them,” he affirmed.

His assurance comes amid heightened concerns about Ghana’s debt sustainability and the government's ability to meet its financial commitments.

Under the previous government, bondholders faced payment issues due to economic challenges and delays in debt servicing efforts by the government. Ghana's financial difficulties strained its ability to meet debt obligations, leading to delays in payments. The government initiated a Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) to restructure its public debt, causing uncertainty and payment delays.

The terms of the debt restructuring resulted in significant investor losses, which led to resistance and a lack of participation in the program. Additionally, a general lack of confidence in the government's ability to manage the debt restructuring process effectively further complicated the situation. These factors collectively caused the payment problems experienced by bondholders, resulting in frustration and protests among the affected investors.

When did SONA start in Ghana?

The Address, which is a constitutional requirement, was first implemented during the former President J. A Kuffour’s tenure. He delivered the first SONA in January 2001, shortly after he assumed office as the second President of the Fourth Republic.

Although Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution had always required the President to deliver a message on the state of the nation at the beginning and end of each parliamentary session, President Jerry John Rawlings never complied during his 18 years in office.

Kufuor was the first to strictly adhere to the constitutional provision, thereby establishing the practice as a regular fixture in Ghana’s democratic governance.

Since then, every Ghanaian president has delivered SONAs annually, making it a key accountability and policy-setting tradition.