President John Dramani Mahama has attributed Ghana's persistent economic struggles to the 1966 overthrow of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, describing it as a major setback that derailed the country's industrialisation and self-sufficiency ambitions.

Speaking at Ghana's 68th Independence Day celebration on Thursday, March 6, 2025, President Mahama noted that the coup ushered in decades of instability, stalling efforts to build a resilient and self-reliant economy. "Nkrumah had a vision of an industrialised Ghana, where prosperity was rooted in patriotism and Pan-African unity.

But on February 24, 1966, that vision was abruptly destroyed, setting our nation back by decades," he stated.

Referencing declassified U.S.