1976 – Ghana Holds National Protests Against IMF Reforms

On June 15, 1976, protests erupted across Ghana in opposition to economic policies recommended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which were viewed as disproportionately harming the poor. These reforms included subsidy removals, currency devaluation, and austerity measures. Led by students, unions, and civic leaders, the protests reflected wider discontent across Africa with the structural adjustment programs (SAPs) that many post-colonial nations were being forced to adopt. Ghanaians argued that these policies undermined national sovereignty and disproportionately impacted working-class families. The June 15 protests signified an early resistance to global economic systems that appeared to re-entrench colonial-style dependence. Though suppressed at the time, the movement later inspired a broader reevaluation of development strategies throughout Africa and Latin America and is now seen as a precursor to more organized anti-globalization movements.