Host of JoyNews’ Newsfile, Samson Lardy Anyenini, has called for a balanced assessment of former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration.

He argues that despite serious economic challenges, the government recorded notable successes in key sectors, particularly the digital economy and cybersecurity.

Contributing to discussions on JoyNews’ 2025 Year in Review on Tuesday, December 30, Mr Anyenini noted that he had consistently criticised the Akufo-Addo government over its economic management.

“You don’t have to go far. If you look at my commentary over the last three or four years, you will see that I was very critical of the government for all the failures, particularly on the economic front,” he said.

However, he cautioned against reducing the former president’s legacy solely to economic difficulties, stressing that such an assessment would be incomplete.

“It is easy for us to keep repeating that Akufo-Addo was the worst. But was he really? If you do not factor in the economy—and I know you cannot completely take the economy out of the argument—there were several sectors where the government did very well, markedly,” he stated.

Mr Anyenini cited the digital economy as a major area of progress, noting that it aligns with global economic trends.

“The digital economy is where the world is going,” he said, adding that Ghana made deliberate investments to position itself competitively in that space.

He also highlighted Ghana’s cybersecurity framework as one of the most significant achievements of the previous administration, explaining that strong cybersecurity infrastructure is essential for building confidence in a rapidly expanding digital economy driven by mobile money, electronic payments, national identification systems, and e-governance.

According to him, Ghana’s cybersecurity performance improved dramatically over the period, rising from 32.6 per cent in 2017 to 99.27 per cent by 2024, earning the country a Tier One ‘role-modelling’ status globally under the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Global Cybersecurity Index — the highest possible ranking.

“That was one of the fastest improvements worldwide,” Mr Anyenini noted.

He explained that such digital confidence has direct economic implications.

“When you have strong cybersecurity, it builds trust in Ghana’s digital systems — mobile money, e-payments, the national ID system, and e-governance. That trust is crucial for economic growth and for attracting investment,” he said.

Mr Anyenini argued that while economic challenges remain a central part of the public conversation, achievements in areas such as digital infrastructure and cybersecurity should also feature prominently in any fair evaluation of the Akufo-Addo administration.