By Kunle Ogedengbe – That Africa needs a reset for development is an understatement with the countries in the continent battling with poverty, unemployment, inequality and external dependence. The re-election of John Dramani Mahama in Ghana with his slogan of “Reset Ghana” is a good starting point not only for Ghana but for the whole of Africa’s 54 countries. Afrobarometer’s survey which revealed that the majority of Ghanaians, especially the skilled ones, want to emigrate to North America and Europe is not only about Ghana but for most African countries. With this trend, development in Africa may be a mirage. This is because Afrobarometer’s finding that Africa’s best brains are migrating out of the continent with only low-skilled people migrating within the continent is not good for development. Obviously, Africa needs a reset for development in order to check poverty, unemployment, inequality and external dependence.
In resetting Ghana, president-elect John Dramani Mahama plans to set the country on a 24 hour economy towards “building the Ghana we want together”. He also promised to curb corruption, power cut, economic turmoil, bad governance by leading to solve problems and will be accessible, decisive and action-driven.
The problems of Ghana are similar to most African countries. Even Nigeria, which is the largest and biggest economy in Africa, is facing similar problems. The continent’s most diversified economy, South Africa is not left out. This contributed to the loss of majority by the African National Congress (ANC) party which made it to form a government of national unity with the Democratic Alliance (DA) despite their ideological difference. The ANC had always formed a government with nothing less than 60 per cent of the votes since the end of colonialism in Africa with the end of apartheid in South Africa in 1994. However in the 2024 general election, it won 40.18 percent of the votes while the DA won 21.8 per cent.
John Dramani Mahama must build on the infrastructure of Ghana for a better economy and work towards the creation of jobs, promotion of accountability, freedom and prosperity for all thereby making life more abundant to the people. The president-elect cannot do less as an experienced leader. He is coming in at a time when inflation has eased from 53 per cent in 2022 to the present 23 per cent.
As he said that the 24 hours economy is live in Sydney, UK and Singapore, it will be great for him to incentivise businesses for them to create jobs and kick start the Ghanaian economy for growth and development. This will further check inflation, bring down interest rate, improve the quality of the nation’s currency against international currencies especially the US dollars, bring about high employment as the multiplier effects of an improved local currency leads to job creation, reduction in cost of living and reduced foreign debt. By this, Ghanaians will be happy and content that the change they voted for has arrived. Notably, to achieve a 24 hours economy, the government must put in place adequate security architecture, just judicial system and encouragement to businesses through various incentives.
He should ease hardship and carry people along especially with his belief in leading to solve problems and by being accessible, open, affable, decisive and action-driven. The free trade of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) with a market of 1.2 billion people and a combined gross domestic product of three trillion US dollars are good platforms to take advantage of.
Doing these will have a positive effect on other African countries and remove neo-colonialism from the continent which according to Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah, the first leader of Ghana, is the worst form of imperialism because it is power without responsibility and exploitation without recompense. Africa needs to do away with neo-colonialism, poverty, inequality, unemployment and external dependence. This is the way to go for the continent.
It is hope that Ghana’s president-elect, John Dramani Mahama will show the light so that other African countries can find the way in line with the motto of the West African Pilot newspaper established in Nigeria by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, a supporter of Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah that says “show the light and the people will find the way”.
By this, Africa will check neo-colonialism. The continent will also be on the development path as it will check the indices of underdevelopment. British economist, Dudley Seer noted the indices of underdevelopment to be unemployment, poverty, inequality and external dependence. Obviously, it will be strange to call increases in these indices, which is the present state in Africa, development. But with the reset of Ghana, other African countries may find the way as was the case in 1957 when Ghana (then called Gold Coast) became one of the first countries to attain independence from colonial rule in the continent which paved the way for other African countries to be independent. Consequently, this will underline the statement of Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah on March 6, 1957, the day of independence of Ghana that “the African people are capable of managing their own affairs”.
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