The need for industrialisation in Ghana

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• Ghanaian 12 years ago

  I don't know how old you are, but since you are a student, I assume you were not around in Nkrumahs Ghana, because that is exactly what he was doing.
  
  He set up factories of all sorts.
  
  Off the top of my head,
  
  We had ...
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  I don't know how old you are, but since you are a student, I assume you were not around in Nkrumahs Ghana, because that is exactly what he was doing.
  
  He set up factories of all sorts.
  
  Off the top of my head,
  
  We had Cocoa Processing (Chocolate drinks), The Match Factory in KADE, The Corned Beef Factory in the Upper Region, The Nsawam Cannery, The Valco Smelter for our Aluminium needs, The Akosombo Dam for Electricity (He even built the ATOMIC Energy site at Kwabenya), He built an OIL Refinery in Tema, even though we were not pumping OIL at that time, He built the CERAMIC Factoy in Saltpond (Central Region) to produce Bath tubs, Sinks Toilet Sets, He had the Citrus FARM in the Central Region for our Fruits ad Vegetables, He had the STATE Farms, to be self-sufficient in FOOD, He even built SILOS to store food in lean times, He was in the process of building a Cement Factory in the Western Region, We had The Black Star line (Merchant Navy), we had our own Airline, He was setting up a CAR Producing Factory, and many more, if I were to sit down to list them.
  
  Those that came after him, either destroyed what he did or sold them.
  
  He did all these in the equivalent of TWO Parliamentary terms today, plus one year.
  
  TO COME TO YOUR MAIN POINT, INDUSTRIALISATION WOULD HAVE SAVED US A LARGE IMPORT BILL, CREATED MASSIVE EMPLOYMENT FOR GHANAIANS AND WOULD MADE US A PROUD NATION, AS WE ONCE WERE.
  
  AKUFFO ADDO OFFERED A REVIVAL OF THAT INDUSTRIALISATION PROGRAMME, BUT THIS NDC GOVERNMENT HAS DENIED GHANAIANS THAT OPPORTUNITY OR GHANAIANS HAVE DENIED THEMSELVES THAT OPPORTUNITY.
  
  I PRAY THE GOOD LORD WILL RESTORE THAT TO GHANAIANS.

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• Ghanaian 12 years ago

  Iforgot the Aboso Glass Factory.
  
  H drew the plan for the BUI Dam, etc.

  Iforgot the Aboso Glass Factory.
  
  H drew the plan for the BUI Dam, etc.

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• Kojo T 12 years ago

  It was the NPP that shut down every thing and brought in the replaced import substitution with export substitution . Business became retailing. But Mr Poku for a young man I admire you . That is why AFRICA NEEDS TO UNITE . ...
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  It was the NPP that shut down every thing and brought in the replaced import substitution with export substitution . Business became retailing. But Mr Poku for a young man I admire you . That is why AFRICA NEEDS TO UNITE . We need to create a large common market. That is why some of us are against the divide and rule concept of ma te me ho. Also you cannot compete as small nation states but large ones . akadu and the rest dubbed it tribalism but we know it is the only way to industrialize

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• KWABENA OHEMENG,LONDON. 12 years ago

  The main thrust of Osagyefo's economic development for the nation was industrialization.At the time of the February,1966 coup Osagyefo had established not less than 60 factories-some were import substitution factories and the ...
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  The main thrust of Osagyefo's economic development for the nation was industrialization.At the time of the February,1966 coup Osagyefo had established not less than 60 factories-some were import substitution factories and the others were to add value to our agricultural products before exportation.On the advice of the IMF and the World Bank the NLC government of Afrifa and the Progress Party government of Busia abandoned them.Instead of subsequent governments activating them they chose to divest them at ridiculously low prices to those interested in buying them .Those which were not bought are standing idle and rotting.Meanwhile we are importing even toothpicks into the country and our school leavers are roaming about jobless.Without industrialization our economy will never develop and the nation and ghanaians will continue to be poor.We should use part of our oil money to industrialize to create jobs and wealth to improve the economy and the living standards of ghanaians.We must not forget that it is industrialization which has made the rich nations rich and the example of China should make us crave to industrialize.Our motto should be-INDUSTRIALIZATION NOW OR NEVER.

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• Kojo T 12 years ago

  That is correct Kwanbena

  That is correct Kwanbena

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• mensah abrampa 12 years ago

  The other day I read about our lamentations over increases in the price of fertilizer for our farmers and wondered why 56 years of political independence and decades of higher education have only yielded a dependency culture ...
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  The other day I read about our lamentations over increases in the price of fertilizer for our farmers and wondered why 56 years of political independence and decades of higher education have only yielded a dependency culture and the importation of about 99.9 per cent of our local needs.
  Of course the industrialized economies of the world love to immortalize the status quo where we're only exporters of raw materials and they as exporters of finished products turn our ports and harbors as dumping grounds for their finished products.
  The purpose of every business is profit so why do we choose to blame
  those who are striving to make gains at our expense? We have some growing up to do.
  It's called business and it's not meant for the feeble and fickle minded. The question is are we going to become what they want us to become? Through their ingenuity and business acumen they're able to maintain their profitability and stranglehold on our economy through the neo-colonialist policies of the WTO, their agents.Are we going to counter that or just remain sitting ducks?
  We cannot continue to blame our failures on the successes of others.For how much longer are we going to be hewers of wood and drawers of water and consigned to nonentities? We have to wake up and become competitive.The African continent has the human and natural resources to compete favorably with the developed world.
  What we lack is a "can do" attittude. Our political leaders are near sighted and lack the acumen to lead the continent to its economical emancipation and development. They're too busy acquiring for themselves illegal wealth.
  We have immense capabilities and resources but we continually under-estimate ourselves. Our priorities are inverted . Why are we exporting crude oil and importing petrol, diesel oil, asphalt, liquefied petroleum gas,kerosene,jet fuel,lubricating oils, bitumen, all bye-products of the refinery process that are ours for the taking at exorbitant prices when we have an oil refinery at home,TOR ? If TOR is not equipped to perform all the tasks required of it why can't we upgrade or standardize it to meet our demands? If it's managerial problems why can't it be fixed?
  We cannot grow our economy and raise the living standards of our people if we continue to export raw materials and import finished products. A change must come and quickly too. It'd take a massive generational change in leadership and a paradigm shift in teaching and education to bring transformation in the economy that would in turn improve the living standards of the people.

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• PK 12 years ago

  This is a good case spoiled by the author's crude understanding of several issues. I'll deal with only one by way of illustration.
  
  Essentially, world system/dependency theories are critiques of the hierarchical world capit ...
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  This is a good case spoiled by the author's crude understanding of several issues. I'll deal with only one by way of illustration.
  
  Essentially, world system/dependency theories are critiques of the hierarchical world capitalist order. They also encourage import-substitution industrialisation. It is therefore incorrect to say the following:
  
  "African states must discourage the World system theory and dependency theory governing the World economies currently."
  
  Before anyone crucifies me for intellectual arrogance, I'm only pointing out this because I believe the author is a young student who may learn a thing or two from my criticism.

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• Fii 12 years ago

  I also think he could've done a bit more on the policy implications of his theoretical explanation

  I also think he could've done a bit more on the policy implications of his theoretical explanation

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• GOSHA 12 years ago

  MANY UNSELESS LEADERS HAVE PASS THROUGH THIS COUNTRY WHO HAVE NO VISION. THE BLACK POPULATION WITH SLAVE MENTALITY FOR SOMEONE TO DO FOR THEM AND SIT BACK ATITUTED, NOW IS THE TIME. SLAVE MENTALITY OF USING FOREIGN CURRENCY A ...
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  MANY UNSELESS LEADERS HAVE PASS THROUGH THIS COUNTRY WHO HAVE NO VISION. THE BLACK POPULATION WITH SLAVE MENTALITY FOR SOMEONE TO DO FOR THEM AND SIT BACK ATITUTED, NOW IS THE TIME. SLAVE MENTALITY OF USING FOREIGN CURRENCY AND IGNORING OUR LOCAL CURRENCY, DEPENDENCEY IN FOREIGN MECHANDIZED INSTEAD OF OUR LOCALLY PRODUCE. BLINDNESS IN OUR OWN FILTH. GREAT ARE WE IF WE HAVE ALL THE ACHIEVEMENT IN THE WORLD BUT YET CANNOT PRODUCE A PIN ON OUR OWN LAND. EVEN POULTRY, RICE, VEGETABLES, MEAT AS TROPICAL COUNTRY WE HAVE TO IMPORT DEAD BIRDS. SAD SAD SAD

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• insight to the bone 12 years ago

  pepeni can not be trusted period , in this world today when Muslims and their undercover agents disguised as Christians have the agenda to destroy all virtues and values we uphold we must be vigilant and not be deceived. Bost ...
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  pepeni can not be trusted period , in this world today when Muslims and their undercover agents disguised as Christians have the agenda to destroy all virtues and values we uphold we must be vigilant and not be deceived. Boston paid the price already and here in Ghana we see the inflation of northerners across all parties following the instructions of their imams and religious leaders to seize control of the country to undermine and destroy the Akans, for which pepeni found allies with ewes and gas who have the same agenda and motives. look at akuffo addo the bofrot of a fool who took as his vice bawumia who could even bring him a single vote from the north and even whose mother campaigned against him . see general mosquito the court jester of a goat serving this regime that will annihilate his own people one day. these are serious times for those who can look at the ugly truth in the face and tell these devils to get lost. our people get poorer by the day despite the wealth we sit on , no water and electricity , every week one shortage or another of basic goods and services yet their propaganda machinery tell us all is well and normal . every office and institution of govt is in the vice grip of corruption as they make sure only selfish greedy bastards control them, no jobs or development as kotoka and rawlings the ewes saw to that now pepeni will finish the job of putting the final nails in the coffin of the Akans but we have the medicine for him. we shall most surely be free sooner or later from this devil, long live the republic of Akan

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• Francis 12 years ago

  EXCELLENT, AND WELL SAID MY BROTHER.

  EXCELLENT, AND WELL SAID MY BROTHER.

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• Francis 12 years ago

  I do not support your article. Stop citng neo-colonialsm and neo-imperialism as if they have been the cause of problems in Africa. Please, as poitical science student think carefully if your analysis is right
  
  The main caus ...
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  I do not support your article. Stop citng neo-colonialsm and neo-imperialism as if they have been the cause of problems in Africa. Please, as poitical science student think carefully if your analysis is right
  
  The main cause of Africa's woes, is all due to bad governance and curruption, especially the latter.
  
  Is it the imperialist tellng Ghana not to build roads, hospitals good sanitary environments, smelters for our gold, bauxite, manganese and iron ore? Even we cannot operate a single small oil refinery. Do you blame imperialist f the collapse of Ghana Airways and Ghana Internatnal?
  
  As long as most African leaders(in every sense of the word) do not care and think about their own country folks,the devlopment of the countries, development of needed infrastructures and build the economies to create jobs for the youth and the university graduates, Ghana and the Africa would continue to suffer and continue to go begging, and foolishy continue to put the blame on the so-called neo-colonialism and imperialism.
  
  THERE ARE MANY ENGINEERS OF ALL KINDS IN GHANA. HOWEVER, WE CONTINUE TO BLAME LOW WATER LEVEL AT AKOSOMBO FOR POWER PRODUCTION FROM AKOSOMBO IN THIS DAY AND AGE. WAKE UP!!!

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• Yaya Auwal 9 years ago

  Slm

  Slm

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