Ghanaian media personality and social media influencer, Naana Donkor Arthur, has voiced her frustrations over the strengthening Ghanaian cedi, which she says has made it more difficult for her to financially support loved ones back home.
In a video shared on social media, Naana—popularly known as NDA—explained how the recent appreciation of the cedi against the US dollar has significantly impacted her finances. According to her, it now costs her more in dollars to send money to Ghana, and this has added financial strain.
> “It’s becoming increasingly expensive to send money home. I have to spend more dollars now than before,” she lamented.
Naana further urged those in Ghana who depend on her support to pray that the dollar regains strength, which would make remittances more manageable for Ghanaians living abroad.
However, the video received backlash from some netizens, prompting her to eventually delete it from her platforms.
Context Behind the Frustration
Naana’s complaints come at a time when the Ghanaian cedi is showing strong performance against major currencies. In the retail forex market, the cedi appreciated by 6.25% week-on-week against the dollar, making it the best-performing currency among 15 Sub-Saharan African currencies.
As of May 12, 2025:
Retail market rate: GH¢13.60 per US dollar
Interbank market rate: GH¢12.89 per US dollar
Forex inflow: US$378.6 million
The cedi also posted notable week-on-week gains:
7.61% against the British pound
5.81% against the euro
While the cedi’s performance has been widely celebrated within Ghana for its potential to stabilize prices, it poses a challenge for Ghanaians abroad whose incomes are in dollars. Many of them now find that their remittances translate into fewer cedis.
A Divided Perspective
In a contrasting incident, a Ghanaian mine worker, Raymond Thompson, went viral for praying for the dollar to strengthen against the cedi. His salary, pegged to the US dollar, has been negatively impacted by the local currency’s appreciation.
This duality in reactions underscores how currency fluctuations affect different segments of society in opposite ways.