As a new year begins, many people are eager to turn their resolutions into real progress. According to Mike Ohene-Effah, Co-Founder and Lead of Afrique International, true success does not come from good intentions alone but from intentional planning, disciplined time use, and consistent personal development.

Speaking during the Effective Living series live on Citi 97.3fm on Tuesday, January 6, Mike emphasized the importance of managing time wisely and setting clear goals.

“You make income between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Wealth, however, is created between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. That is when you truly create value for your future,” he said.

He explained that every day can be divided into three eight-hour blocks, sleep, work, and personal time. While most people plan for sleep and work, the personal time block is often wasted on distractions. Mike noted that using this period for learning, skill development, and personal growth can significantly change one’s life.

Three Levels of Goal-Setting

Mike outlined a simple but powerful framework for goal-setting, built around three levels.

Outcome goals describe what you want to achieve by the end of the year. These could include earning a specific income, completing a major project, or reaching a career milestone. However, outcome goals are often influenced by external factors and may not be fully within one’s control.

Performance goals focus on personal standards and how well tasks are executed. These goals are about improvement, consistency, and measurable progress, giving individuals greater control over their success.

Process goals are the daily habits and actions that lead to long-term results. These include routines such as studying, networking, practicing a skill, or working on key projects. Mike stressed that although people often avoid process goals because they require daily effort, they are the most important drivers of lasting change.

“Nothing in your life will change in 2026 if you do not change or improve,” he said. “Focus on what you can control, your daily actions, habits, and behaviours. That is where real wealth and success are built.”

The Power of the Hidden Hour

Mike’s central message focused on what he calls the hidden hour, the time outside regular work hours when real growth happens. While salaries are earned during the day, long-term wealth, knowledge, and mastery are built through deliberate effort during personal time.

By committing this hidden hour to focused growth and disciplined goal-setting, individuals can turn ordinary days into powerful building blocks for a more successful future.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, has strongly denied reports claiming that the Gold-for-Reserves programme recorded losses under GoldBod’s management, insisting that the institution ended 2025 with a significant financial surplus.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, January 3, Mr Gyamfi described claims of a US$214 million loss as false and misleading. He explained that, based on unaudited management accounts, GoldBod generated over GHS960 million in revenue in 2025, while total expenditure for the same period remained below GHS120 million.

According to him, as a public institution, GoldBod does not declare profits but surpluses. He indicated that the Board is expected to announce a conservative surplus of between GHS700 million and GHS800 million for the 2025 financial year.

Mr Gyamfi also noted that GoldBod has complied with all legal requirements by publishing its quarterly financial reports. He added that the Auditor-General is expected to complete an external audit by the end of the first quarter of 2026, after which the full audited accounts will be made available to the public.

He further rejected assertions that GoldBod transferred losses to the Bank of Ghana, describing such claims as illogical. He explained that the Gold-for-Reserves programme was introduced by the Bank of Ghana in 2022 and is fully funded by the central bank, with all related transactions recorded in the Bank of Ghana’s books.

Mr Gyamfi explained that GoldBod was established in April 2025 and inherited an outdated operational structure, which required significant reforms. Despite these challenges, he said the law mandated GoldBod to continue managing the Gold-for-Reserves programme under transitional arrangements.

He questioned why alleged losses from a programme that existed before GoldBod’s establishment were being attributed to the Board. According to him, GoldBod has accounted for every cedi received from the Bank of Ghana, delivered the required gold value, and earned only its approved agency fees.

The Bank of Ghana’s disclosure that it has provided 10 billion dollars in foreign exchange support since January 2025 signals a strong step in Ghana’s ongoing economic rebound. The support has helped Independent Power Producers, met commitments to bondholders, enabled dividend payments, and strengthened overall debt management. These interventions have helped steady the economy, restore investor confidence, and bring more predictability to the financial system.

Behind this progress is one of the country’s youngest but most impactful institutions, the Ghana Gold Board, also known as GoldBod. Created to reform and formalise the small scale gold mining sector, the Board was given the task of building a transparent national gold purchasing system, reducing losses from unregulated activity, and ensuring that Ghana’s gold resources contribute directly to national development.

A major part of GoldBod’s work is supplying gold and generating foreign exchange for the Bank of Ghana’s reserves. In just one year, the institution has grown into a crucial source of foreign exchange, contributing significantly to the reserves that enabled the central bank to provide the historic 10 billion dollar support.

Before GoldBod came along, the small scale gold sector was largely informal, with widespread smuggling and unregulated sales causing the country to lose billions in potential foreign exchange. Without a structured process for turning locally mined gold into reserve assets, the Bank of Ghana often faced difficulty during periods of currency pressure and global uncertainty.

GoldBod has changed that narrative. Through a structured gold purchasing programme, a clear pricing system, and formal engagement with miners and aggregators, it has created a dependable and accountable flow of gold for national use. This gold is converted into foreign exchange, which has strengthened the central bank’s ability to stabilise the cedi and meet important financial obligations.

Its work has increased gold deliveries to the central bank, expanded regulated buying channels, and reduced smuggling and illegal outflows. By keeping more of the country’s gold value within the economy, GoldBod has improved the Bank of Ghana’s capacity to respond to demands from power producers, creditors, and local markets.

GoldBod plans to deepen its impact in the coming years. It is widening its operational reach, strengthening links across the mining value chain, and aligning its growth strategies with the central bank’s medium term reserve goals. The Board aims to sustain a steady flow of gold and foreign exchange that protects the cedi, supports macroeconomic stability, and strengthens Ghana’s long term financial resilience.

As the Bank of Ghana marks this milestone, GoldBod stands out as a strategic partner whose performance has become central to the country’s renewed economic confidence. Together, both institutions are showing that with transparency, efficiency, and responsible management of resources, Ghana can fully benefit from its natural wealth and build lasting stability for its people.