Old footage shows Ghanaians scrambling for sugar, others during 1973 shortages

An old archival video has resurfaced showing frustrated Ghanaians scrambling to purchase essential commodities, particularly sugar, during the severe shortages that hit the country in 1973.

The footage captures large crowds rushing to secure subsidised goods at the Accra Community Centre after the National Redemption Council (NRC) government, led by Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, confiscated hoarded supplies and made them available directly to the public.

At the time, Ghana was experiencing acute shortages of subsidised commodities, including sugar, milk and other essential household items. The shortages were largely attributed to hoarding, smuggling and black-market trading, where some traders withheld goods from the market and resold them at significantly higher prices.

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In response, the NRC government seized the commodities and organised direct public sales at designated centres, including the Accra Community Centre, to ensure consumers could purchase the goods at subsidised prices.

The archival footage vividly illustrates the desperation of many Ghanaians, with long queues and crowds rushing to buy sugar and other essential items, highlighting the economic challenges the country faced during that period.

The scenes remain one of the most enduring visual records of Ghana's economic hardships in the early 1970s.

In 1973, Ghana experienced severe shortages of subsidised goods such as sugar, milk and other essential commodities, as traders hoarded, smuggled and resold them at higher prices on the black market. In response, the National Redemption Council (NRC) government under Colonel Kutu… pic.twitter.com/pCRdwZ4uam

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