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Public Agenda (Accra)

Ghana: "An Economic History of Ghana" Launched

Basiru Adam

3 November 2008

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Mr. Ivor Agyeman Duah, the author of president Kufour's biography is in the news again, this time, with a chronicle of "Ghana's half a century of often tumultuous transformation."

"Agyeman Duah has put together a group of scholars, educators and government, business and civil society leaders to debate the trajectory of Ghana's economic history. Their views centre on three fundamental themes: Structures and institutions in a postcolonial Economy, the Role of Public Policy, Stimulus and Innovation. A timely volume as Ghana celebrated its 50th Anniversary of Independence in 2007 under president Kufour's two eight-year terms of relatively peaceful democratic rule."

Contributors include Jeffrey D. Sachs, Mary Chinery Hesse, Akoto Osei, Moses Asaga, Tony Oteng-Gyasi among others. The forward to the book was by the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka of Nigeria.

The book, "An Economic History of Ghana; Reflections on a Half-Century of Challenges and Progress" was launched in Accra last week, a function which attracted a high caliber audience including President kufour.

Mrs. Mary Chibnery-Hesse, Chief Advisor to the president, who chaired the function was full of praise for the editor of the book - Ivor Ageyman Duah. She said the book offers an opportunity for Ghana to analyze her past "in order to envision future pathways."

She advised that Ghanaians should vow to guard the successes they have chalked so far and aim higher "to retain our position as a beacon in Africa."

The editor of the anthology, Mr Ivor Agyeman Dauh said the challenges in the book recognize the nature and legacy of colonial rule and how it affected efforts at creating a modern economy for Ghana.

In his view, no matter whatever arguments are made, Ghana is today not a failed state and that "it is still a respectable nation among the nations of the developing world. He expressed thanks to all those who contributed in the putting together of the book.

Dr. K.Y Amoako of the African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET), who launched the book, enumerated a number of lessons he believed the book teaches. The first one is that leadership is central to economic development and that structures and institutions matter as do good policies. "The third and last lesson from the book that I want to mention here is the importance of stability in economic management and the continuity of good economic policies across administrations."

Aside his comments on the book, Dr. Amoako used the occasion to outline his vision for the economic transformation of Ghana as his outfit ACET, was created "to assist African governments with developing and implementing policies geared toward growth."

He thus proposes a "midfield" approach to tackling transformation of the Ghanaian economy. This approach is premised on the role of the midfielder in football. "He supports the attacker and while he may sometimes be a star, the midfielder most often leaves the limelight to the strikers Likewise our government must become the nerve centre of the economy, facilitating its transformation.

The "midfield" approach is summarized thus, - modernizing the country's agriculture, improving infrastructure, diversifying exports and increasing trade competitiveness and fundamentally reforming the financial system.

The rest include increasing regional integration, enhancing employment, leveraging technology and finally delivering transformation through developmental state.

He also proposed some "indicators" by which the performance of the incoming administration could be judged. He says the next government has to make real progress on the Millennium Development Goals, create more jobs and increase access to quality education at all levels among others. "So the next administration can judge itself as success if 25% more young people who so desire have the opportunity to sit in a university classroom and discuss Ivor's An Economic History of Ghana with their peers."

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