Member of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom, Lord Paul Boateng, has indicated that the exploitation of Africa’s resources by powerful nations has led to poverty and economic hardship.
Mr Boateng ascribed this gap to bad policies, poor governance, and a lack of effective leadership, leaving Africa exposed to exploitation.
He indicated that this must be addressed since it hinders development in the country.
“Those great powers, who have fed and continue to feed on Africa’s resources with their willing collaborators, have pulled Africa down in an impoverished and conflicted posture.”
“We are held down in an impoverished and conflicted gesture by the dependence on external aids and the great powers,” he stressed.
He also admonished African leaders, especially Ghana, to make conscious efforts toward breaking the current cycle of dependence on external aid to propel development.
According to him, the country will not experience any significant growth since the dependence on external aid hinders progress.
Lord Boateng referenced President Akufo-Addo’s 2018 bold statement with French President Emmanuel Macron, where he underscored the need for Africa to wean itself off external aid.
“Break the vicious cycle of dependence on external aid. Who here does not remember the moment His Excellency the President [Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo] stood next to the president of France [Emmanuel] Macron and went viral and made the point about the need for us to cease to have to rely on external aid if we are to break that vicious cycle of dependence on external aid and those great powers who have fed and continue to feed on Africa’s resources and whose activities with their willing collaborators hold Africa down in an impoverished and conflicted posture?”
Mr. Boateng also highlighted that the current social media debate surrounding the benefit of a Dutch passport and a Ghanaian PhD must serve as a reminder of the challenges facing Ghana.
He expressed worry that most Ghanaians had the view that the passport was worth more than a PhD.
“Say it isn’t so. And if it is so, it shouldn’t be so. We cannot allow it to continue to be so. Leadership must be at the heart of our response,” he said.
In addition, he stated that leaders must ensure equitable access to quality education, which is fundamental to empowering Ghanaian youth and raising capable future leaders.
He urged students to embrace leadership opportunities and take responsibility for shaping Ghana’s future.
He was speaking during the 2024 UPSA Annual Leadership Lecture on June 18.
