Is Ghana’s Potential Being Squandered? A Look at 68 Years of Missed Opportunities and Stalled Progress by Rockson Oppong

 

History whispers to us from the past, urging us to look back—not just to see where we have been, but to understand where we are going. It is important to state that the story of Ghana’s independence was written with the ink of sacrifice, the hopes of a people longing for true freedom, and the dream of a nation that would rise above oppression and claim its destiny. In 1957, we stood tall, and our voices echoed across the world as the first sub-Saharan African nation to break free from colonial rule. The air was filled with hope. Our forefathers believed that in just a few decades, Ghana would become a shining example of prosperity, a shining example of what an African nation could achieve. But now, 68 years later, we must ask ourselves a difficult question: Are we truly free, or have we simply exchanged one form of bondage for another?
It is no hidden truth that the country has not made significant progress in key areas such as economic development, governance, infrastructure, and social welfare. While Ghana has seen some improvements, persistent challenges have hindered its full potential.
This article touches on some key reasons why Ghana’s progress has been slow despite decades of independence:

1. Poor Leadership and Corruption:
One of the biggest obstacles to Ghana’s progress has been weak leadership and corruption at various levels of government. Ghana is blessed with everything needed for survival. What we lack is “good leadership”. Ghana is blessed beyond measure—rich in gold, oil, cocoa, and the brilliance of its people. Yet, poverty lingers in the shadows of our wealth. Corruption, like a disease, has spread through our institutions, turning dreams into disappointments and opportunities into lost causes. Our streets whisper the stories of the past—the voices of leaders who once inspired us, now drowned by the endless cycle of political deception. Kwame Nkrumah once declared, ‘The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa.’ But what of Ghana itself? We stand shackled by greed, corruption, and mismanagement.
Ghana ranked 72nd out of 180 countries in the 2023 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, showing that corruption remains a serious issue. It seems like the average Ghanaian, by default, is corrupt or is ever ready to give away anything to receive something. We are corrupt in our homes, families, and even in churches. And it gets worse at the national level. One of my mentors, Mr. Jonas Omor observed, “Ghanaians are interested in sacrifice for self instead of sacrifice of self.”
It is sad to know that more often than not, funds meant for development projects often get mismanaged or stolen, leaving us with poor roads, weak health systems, and underdeveloped schools.
Just think about The Judicial Corruption Scandal (2015), which exposed judges taking bribes to manipulate justice and The Agyapa Royalties Scandal (2020), which raised concerns about the mismanagement of Ghana’s natural resources. Can Ghana rise again? I am hopeful, but it will demand hard work. It will demand actions, not plenty of talks.

2. Over-Reliance on Raw Materials and Weak Industrialization;
Ghana’s economy has remained heavily dependent on raw materials like gold, cocoa, and oil, rather than developing industries to process these resources into finished goods. In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith argued that nations that depend on raw material exports will remain economically weak, while those that industrialize will grow faster.
I can never stop thinking about this: The land that once gave the world cocoa now imports chocolate at exorbitant prices. The same nation that lent Malaysia its first oil palm seeds now watches in despair as Malaysia blossoms while we struggle.
Our industries should have been our salvation, but instead, they remain dreams deferred—factories left to rust, roads left unfinished, hospitals without medicine. The children of our nation still sit in classrooms without desks, their futures hanging in the balance because we failed to prioritize their education.
It is important to reveal that the failure to industrialize means high unemployment and slow economic growth. And that is exactly what we are experiencing as a country. Isn’t this pitiful?

3. Poor Educational System and Brain Drain:
While Ghana has made strides in education, the focus is still on theory-based learning rather than practical skills that contribute to national development. In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire criticized traditional education for producing students who can memorize facts but not solve real problems.
Many Ghanaian graduates lack critical skills needed in the job market, leading to youth unemployment. My assertion is buttressed by a statement made by former President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, during his speech at the London School of Economics’ Africa Summit on 21st April, 2018:
“According to the State of Education in Africa Report 2015, published by the Africa-America Institute, returns on investments in higher education in Africa is 21 percent—the highest in the world. While this is good news for us, as a continent, we should face the very unpleasant fact that, for many of our graduates, a university education no longer guarantees a job. We need to make sure that the curricula we offer are relevant to the skills needs of the job market.”
Another sad issue is, many educated professionals leave Ghana for better opportunities abroad. In every airport departure lounge, Ghana loses another doctor, another engineer, another brilliant mind to the lure of foreign lands. They leave not because they want to abandon their motherland, but because their motherland has abandoned them. What a pity! How many more of our sons and daughters must we watch disappear into the diaspora before we realize that the greatest loss a nation can suffer is the loss of its people? Doctors trained in Ghana leave for the UK and USA because of poor working conditions. Many engineers and IT experts move to Canada, leaving Ghana with a weak technical workforce.

4. Political Instability and Inconsistent Policies:
With every election cycle, new leaders rise, armed with promises as grand as the ones before them. Roads are half-built only to be abandoned. Every new government changes policies, causing disruptions in national development plans. Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson (2012), in Why Nations Fail, argue that nations that lack stable institutions and long-term policies remain underdeveloped.
Ghana’s political cycle (every 4 years) leads to abandoned projects whenever a new party comes to power. Many roads and hospitals remain half-completed after government changes.

5. High Debt and Poor Economic Management:
Our national debt has become a chain around our necks, growing heavier with each passing year. We borrow, not to build, but to survive. And in the end, it is the people who pay the price—through hardship, through suffering, through dreams left unfulfilled. Ghana has accumulated a huge national debt, making it difficult to invest in infrastructure and public services. As of 2023, Ghana’s debt exceeded 90% of its GDP, forcing the country to seek help from the IMF. John Maynard Keynes, in The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money, argued that countries must balance borrowing with productive investment, but Ghana borrows more for consumption rather than development.
Hospitals are commissioned with no doctors, no nurses, and no equipment. The economy rises only to fall. This is sad!
Do you that Ghana has taken over 17 IMF loans since independence, yet economic growth remains slow? Oh yes. Surprisingly, high debt means more money is spent on loan repayment than on hospitals, schools, and roads.

6. Poor Infrastructure and Urban Planning:
Despite Ghana’s economic growth, infrastructure development remains slow. Many roads in rural areas are in bad condition, making it hard for farmers to transport goods. Power supply is unstable, affecting businesses and industries. Housing deficits have led to slums in cities like Accra and Kumasi.
Accra experiences severe flooding every rainy season due to poor drainage. Why are we still here after 68 years? Are we not learning from the past and our errors?
Ghana, after 68 years of independence, has made some progress, but major challenges remain due to:
• Corruption and weak leadership.
• Over-reliance on raw materials.
• A weak education system and brain drain.
• Political instability and abandoned projects.
• High national debt and economic mismanagement.
• Poor infrastructure and urban planning.
If these issues are not addressed, the country risks remaining stagnant despite its vast resources and potential. Ghana is not beyond saving. The dream of independence is not dead—it is simply waiting to be realized.

To move forward, Ghana must:
• Strengthen anti-corruption institutions like CHRAJ and EOCO.
• Enforce strict laws against corrupt officials.
• Invest in local industries to add value to Ghana’s resources.
• Provide incentives for manufacturing companies.
• Reform the educational curriculum to focus on technical and vocational training.
• Provide better salaries and working conditions to keep professionals in Ghana.
• National development projects should be independent of political parties.
• Establish long-term national policies that cannot be abandoned by new governments.
• Reduce excessive borrowing and invest in self-sustaining projects.
• Strengthen local industries to generate more revenue.
• Invest in modern transport and energy infrastructure.
• Develop a long-term housing and urban planning strategy.

As Kwame Nkrumah famously said, “We face neither East nor West; we face forward.” Ghana must take bold steps towards true development rather than repeating past mistakes. Ghana must choose to face forward once again—not just with words, but with the courage to do what is right.

The time for excuses is over. The time for action is now.

Story By Rockson Oppong-Author, Educator, Motivational Writer, Poet