Africa’s crisis is a broken value system and not colonial legacy - Dr Oppong-Sarfo

The Executive Director of the New African Concept (NAC), Dr Joshua Oppong-Sarfo, has stirred debate over Africa’s development narrative, arguing that the continent’s persistent challenges are rooted less in slavery and colonialism and more in what he describes as a “broken value system.”

According to Dr Oppong-Sarfo, findings from research conducted by the organisation point to moral and mindset deficits as the foundational cause of Ghana’s and Africa’s stagnation.

While acknowledging that many analysts trace Africa’s difficulties to historical injustices, Dr Oppong-Sarfo insisted that the continent’s deeper problem is internal.

“Many people subscribe to the coming of the white man through slavery and colonialism as the root cause…but from our research, the very root of Ghana and Africa’s problem lies in our value systems our internal self. It is a case of garbage in, garbage out, "he said while addressing guests at NAC’s 5th anniversary media launch in Accra on February 11, 2026.

According to him, Africa’s socio-economic struggles including weak leadership, poverty and governance deficits are symptoms of a more systemic flaw embedded in its collective mindset.

Drawing an analogy with malaria, Dr Oppong-Sarfo explained that addressing surface-level issues without tackling underlying values amounts to treating symptoms instead of the disease itself.

“The software upon which we mount our programmes is broken that software is what we call our value system,” he stated.

“If you have malaria and only treat the fever or loss of appetite, you are not dealing with the malaria parasite itself. That is the situation we find ourselves in.”

He maintained that until Ghana and other African countries deliberately redefine and reconstruct their value systems, policy reforms and development initiatives will continue to produce limited impact.

Chairman of NAC, Nana Barima Acheampong Sarpong II, Chief of Sekyere Asaman in the Ashanti Region, reinforced the call for character reform, stressing that national progress is built on discipline, integrity and a shared sense of purpose.

He argued that the vision of a transformed Ghana and Africa hinges on the emergence of citizens guided by renewed values.

“A new Ghana and a new Africa demand a new Ghanaian and a new African,” he stated, underscoring the need for mindset transformation as a prerequisite for sustainable development.

As part of activities marking its fifth anniversary, NAC has scheduled a book launch on February 22, followed by an Independence Lecture on March 6, 2026, at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) Auditorium in Accra.

AM

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