New Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo sworn in

Nana Akufo-Addo was sworn in Saturday as the new president of Ghana after winning the election a month ago.

Akufo-Addo, 72, defeated incumbent John Dramani Mahama in an election largely focused on the country’s stalling economy.

Thousands of people, along with leaders from across Africa, gathered in the Ghanaian capital of Accra to witness the peaceful transfer of power, a rare sight in a region marked by political violence.

The former opposition leader and human rights lawyer Akufo-Addo promised to rebuild the country’s economy by building a factory in each of Ghana’s more than 200 districts.

Akufo-Addo has said he will put Ghana “back on the path of progress and prosperity” after high public debt and inflation forced the country to take a bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund about a year and a half ago.

Earlier this week, Mahama attributed the struggles seen during his presidency to “strong headwinds” that caused Ghana’s currency to falter.