CSOs Scorecard Finds Steady First-Year Progress but Anti-Corruption Falls Short

Ghana’s governance of its natural resources, environment and anti-corruption systems came under renewed scrutiny on Tuesday as an alliance of civil society organisations released the country’s first consolidated CSOs’ Scorecard assessing Government’s performance in its first year in office.

The assessment, presented by Mr Samuel Bekoe of the Center for Extractives and Development, Africa (CEDA), reflects the work of five coalitions and nine CSOs monitoring commitments across mining, petroleum, climate change, energy transition, environment, forestry and anti-corruption.

According to the Scorecard, Government made satisfactory progress in four out of the five thematic areas, achieving or exceeding the expected 25 percent first-year benchmark based on the four-year governance cycle. Anti-corruption was the only exception, falling below the projected pace.

Mining Sector Shows Strongest Delivery

The data shows mining as the best-performing area, recording 37.50 percent completion with an overall project score of 1.13, signalling stronger implementation of regulatory and policy actions.

Environment and Forestry followed with 30.21 percent, while Upstream & Downstream Petroleum and Climate Change & Energy Transition posted 26.85 percent and 25.60 percent respectively — all slightly above the minimum expected threshold.

Anti-corruption, however, lagged at 23.04 percent, making it the only thematic area where Government’s first-year delivery fell short.

Mr Bekoe described the scorecard as “a mirror — one that reflects policy actions, gaps and follow-through, based on evidence rather than rhetoric.”

A Guide for Governance, Not a Political Verdict

The CSOs stressed that the Scorecard is not an indictment of the administration, but an accountability tool meant to highlight progress, identify bottlenecks and support more consistent implementation of commitments that affect economic stability, resource governance and environmental protection.

“Ghana has never lacked ambitious promises,” Mr Bekoe noted. “The gap has always been in sustained implementation. This scorecard helps citizens track what is being delivered, not just what is declared.”

The evaluation draws on nearly a year of monitoring, including reviews of budget allocations, institutional actions, regulatory directives, community engagements and policy outcomes covering more than 60 manifesto commitments.

Anti-Corruption Emerges as the Key Area of Concern

While acknowledging progress in the extractives, climate and environmental sectors, the alliance warned that anti-corruption reforms risk drifting off schedule if the current pace continues.

They cautioned that missed timelines could undermine governance credibility, investor confidence and public trust before the end of the term.

“The Government must intensify its anti-corruption efforts,” the statement noted. “Any delays could affect the successful delivery of expected outcomes by 2028.”

CSOs Call for Constructive Engagement

The alliance urged Government to take the findings “seriously, not defensively,” and to:

• Engage openly on areas where progress is slow

• Strengthen monitoring, transparency and enforcement systems

• Maintain consistent follow-through on reform timelines

• Let data, not politics, guide decisions

They also pledged to continue monitoring constructively, offering technical insights and supporting reforms that advance citizens’ welfare.

Setting the Stage for a National Dialogue

The Scorecard is expected to stimulate wider discussion among policymakers, resource-sector actors and transparency advocates as Ghana balances economic priorities with environmental sustainability and institutional reform.

“A nation that measures its progress is a nation moving forward,” Mr Bekoe said. “And a government that welcomes scrutiny shows confidence in its mandate.”

The broad message from civil society is clear: first-year performance is encouraging overall, but stronger momentum — particularly in anti-corruption — will be crucial if Government is to meet its commitments by 2028.

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