2026 in Ghana
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Events in the year 2026 in Ghana.
Incumbents
[edit]Events
[edit]January
[edit]- 7 January – Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who is wanted on charges of corruption, is detained by immigration agents in the United States.[1]
February
[edit]- 2 February – Ghana suspends its citizenship application process for people of African descent, citing the need to make the system more accessible and user-friendly.[2]
- 4 February – Ghana and Zambia agree to abolish visa requirements for each other’s citizens.[3]
- 10 February – The government designates Wednesdays as "Fugu Day", as part of efforts to promote indigenous fashion.[4]
- 23 February – Kotoka International Airport is renamed as Accra International Airport.[5]
- 25 February – Seventy-one fishermen are rescued following attacks by maritime gunmen off the coast of Awutu Senya West, Central Region.[6]
March
[edit]- 6 March – The Ghanaian headquarters of a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Lebanon is hit by missile attacks, leaving two soldiers critically injured. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs lodges a protest at the United Nations headquarters in New York following the incident.[7]
- 25 March – The United Nations General Assembly adopts a Ghana-led resolution recognising the Atlantic slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity”; the measure passes with 123 votes in favour.[8]
April
[edit]- 12 April – A bus carrying football players of Berekum Chelsea F.C. is attacked by robbers along the Goaso–Bibiani road, leaving athlete Dominic Frimpong dead.[9]
- 14 April – The Ghana Immigration Service announces the rescue of 305 West African nationals, including 113 minors, following an operation against street begging networks.[10]
May
[edit]- 1 May:
- 13 May – MP Kwame Ohene Frimpong is detained in the Netherlands amid an investigation into financial crimes by the United States.[13]
- 15 May – Ghana officially leaves the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme with the International Monetary Fund.[14]
- 29 May – Parliament approves the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, which criminalizes the promotion, funding, and sponsorship of LGBTQ activities, and introduces a duty to report prohibited LGBTQ acts.[15]
June
[edit]- 2 June – A bus and a truck collide in Volta Region, killing 15 people and injuring 25.[16]
- 30 June
- A coalition of advocacy groups file a complaint against ECOWAS, on behalf of 27 people deported from the United States under the Trump administration's third-country deportation programme.[17]
- At least 24 people are killed in floods and landslides caused by torrential rain in Accra and Ivory Coast.[18]
July
[edit]- 3 July – The Ghanaian national football team are eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing 1–0 to Colombia in the round of 32 in Kansas City, with Jhon Arias scoring the only goal.[19][20]
- 7 July – The government postpones the planned August 2026 session of the Ghana–South Africa Bi-National Commission, citing an apparent surge in violence against illegal migrants in South Africa.[21]
- 29 July – A nationwide power outage strikes after a major fault on the national electricity grid forces several power plants to shut down.[22]
August
[edit]- 3 August – A multi-vehicle crash at Birimso Bridge on the Accra–Kumasi Highway kills at least 15 people.[23]
- 13 August – Twelve people are killed and 13 others are injured in a multivehicle collision on the Accra–Kumasi Expressway.[24][25]
September
[edit]- 2 September – Two minivans collide in the Greater Accra region, killing 13 people and injuring five others.[26]
Holidays
[edit]Source:[27]
- 1 January – New Year's Day
- 9 January – Constitution Day[28]
- 6 March – Independence Day
- 30 March – Eid al-Fitr
- 18 April – Good Friday
- 21 April – Easter Monday
- 1 May – May Day
- 6 June – Eid al-Adha
- 4 July – Republic Day
- 4 August – Founders' Day
- 21 September – Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day
- 5 December – Farmers' Day
- 25 December – Christmas Day
- 26 December – Boxing Day
Deaths
[edit]- 4 January – Naser Toure Mahama, 60, MP (since 2012).[29]
- 7 February – Ebo Taylor, 90, musician.[30]
- 15 February – Peter Tasiri, 95, revolutionary and politician, member of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (1979).[31]
- 12 April – Dominic Frimpong, 20, footballer (Berekum Chelsea).[9]
- 24 May – Beverly Afaglo, 42, actress (The Game, A Northern Affair, Sidechic Gang) and television presenter.[32]
- 12 July – Gariba II, 87, traditional ruler.[33]
- 27 July – Sulemana Abdul Samed, 32, tallest man in Ghana.[34]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Ghana's ex-finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta detained by US immigration authorities". Africanews. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ↑ "Ghana suspends citizenship process for people of African descent". BBC. 2026-02-02. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
- ↑ "Ghana and Zambia sign visa-free travel agreement". Africanews. 5 February 2026. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
- ↑ "Ghana declares Wednesday 'Fugu Day' to promote traditional outfit after online mockery". BBC. 2026-02-11. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ "Kotoka International Airport Officially Reverts to Accra International Airport". GhanaWeb. 2026-02-23. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
- ↑ "Ghana navy and air force rescue 71 fishermen after gunmen attack boats off the coast". AP News. 26 February 2026. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ↑ Bruce, Emmanuel (6 March 2026). "Ghana peacekeeping battalion hit by missile attacks in Lebanon, Ghana army says". Reuters. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ↑ Demony, Catarina (25 March 2026). "UN adopts Ghana's slavery resolution, defying resistance from US, Europe". Reuters. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- 1 2 "Ghanaian footballer shot dead in horrific armed robbery attack on team bus". The Independent. 2026-04-13. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
- ↑ "Ghana rescues 305 West African nationals, including 113 children, in anti-trafficking operation". AP News. 2026-04-16. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
- ↑ Imray, Gerald (1 May 2026). "China has now dropped tariffs on imports from every African country except 1". AP News. Archived from the original on 6 May 2026. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ Acquah, Edward (2 May 2026). "Ghana becomes the latest African country to reject a US health deal, citing data sharing concerns". AP News. Archived from the original on 6 May 2026.
- ↑ "Ghana MP detained in Netherlands over alleged $32m FBI probe". Africanews. 13 May 2026.
- ↑ "Ghana exits IMF bailout programme". Africanews. 15 May 2026. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
- ↑ Bruce, Emmanuel; Akorlie, Christian (29 May 2026). "Ghana lawmakers approve bill criminalizing LGBTQ 'promotion', official says". Reuters. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ "At least 15 killed, 25 injured in Ghana bus-truck collision". Xinhua. 2 June 2026. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- ↑ Donatl, Jessica (30 June 2026). "Rights groups file complaint against Ghana over Trump deportations". Reuters. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- ↑ Acquah, Edward (2026-06-30). "Floods in Ghana and Ivory Coast leave at least 24 dead following torrential rains". Associated Press. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
- ↑ Ewing, Lori (4 July 2026). "Colombia edge Ghana 1-0 to set up Switzerland showdown". Reuters. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ Araujo, Gabriel (4 July 2026). "Ghana's World Cup exit down to a lack of maturity, says Queiroz". Reuters. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ Bruce, Emmanuel; Timsina, Nilutpal (7 July 2026). "Ghana delays South Africa meetings over anti-migrant violence". Reuters. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ Naadi, Thomas (2026-07-29). "Ghana 'dumsor': Nationwide blackout as several power plants fail". BBC. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- ↑ Appiah-Kubi, Isaac (4 August 2026). "Complete Accra-Kumasi Highway; recurring tragedies unacceptable – Minority". Citi News Room.
- ↑ "At least 11 killed, 13 injured in multiple-motor crash in Ghanaian capital". Xinhua News Agency. 2026-08-13. Retrieved 2026-08-17.
- ↑ "NRSA consoles Ofankor crash victims, urges road users to exercise caution". Ghana News Agency. 2026-08-14. Retrieved 2026-08-17.
- ↑ "13 killed, 5 critically injured in road crash in Ghana". Xinhua. 2 September 2026. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
- ↑ "Ghana Public Holidays 2025". Public Holidays Global. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
- ↑ Toby (2026-01-03). "Ghana moves Constitution Day Holiday to Friday". Public Holidays News. Retrieved 2026-02-14.
- ↑ "BREAKING: MP for Ayawaso East Naser Toure is dead - Reports". ghanaweb. 4 January 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Ghana music legend Ebo Taylor dies at 90". Ghana Business News. 8 February 2026. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
- ↑ "Key figure in June 4 uprising ex-Sergeant Peter Tasiri Azongo dies at 95". Modern Ghana. 16 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ "Ghanaian actress and media personality Beverly Afaglo passes on". Daily Graphic. Accra, Ghana. 2026-05-24. Retrieved 2026-05-24.
- ↑ "Everything you need to know about late Yaa Naa Abukari Mahama II, King of Dagbon". Pulse Ghana. 2026-07-13. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
- ↑ "Ghana mourns its tallest man Awuche - a 'generous and popular giant'". BBC News. 2026-07-28. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
