Trump's America First Doctrine: Ghana and Africa's wake-up call

The “America First” policy currently underway by US President Donald Trump must serve as a critical wake-up call for Ghana and, indeed, the entire African continent. It wasn’t like he did not warn us during the elections.

Maybe we did not know that he would sever the donor's umbilical cord so swiftly, without hesitation and mercy. In some respects, we feel like a hungry child, cup in hand, left out in the cold as a benefactor shuts the door in our faces.

For decades, African political leaders have overseen the mismanagement of our vast natural and human resources, mortgaging our future for dependence on foreign aid, loans, and donor goodwill.

Decades after independence, despite our wealth, we still rely on handouts from abroad. Instead of raising our heads as proud people, our leaders have reduced even our once proud nations like Ghana and Nigeria to beggars with bowls in hand for a pittance from donor nations.

This reliance on external support has weakened Africa’s standing on the global stage and perpetuated a cycle of economic vulnerability and political dependency.

Take the case of Ghana. USAID, one of the largest donor agencies in the world with a budget of $50 billion, supporting health, maternal health and nutrition, sustainable water supply, and private sector development, to mention a few, shut its doors in a day.

In other cases, USAID is providing critical treatment for HIV. However, as of this writing, all USAID websites are shut down and inaccessible. Imagine the millions of our people who have grown to depend on these agencies for their survival, and we have no safety nets to cushion this blow.

African countries, including Ghana, have immense natural wealth: gold, bauxite, oil, arable land, and a youthful, energetic population. However, despite these resources, we struggle with poverty, unemployment, corruption, and poor infrastructure.

The fundamental problem is not a lack of resources but a failure of leadership. Africa is resource-rich but leadership-poor. This fact cannot be debated. Just look at the clowning in Ghana’s parliament last week to see the caliber of our leaders.

Instead of formulating policies that promote self-sufficiency and economic independence, many African leaders and politicians have chosen short-term personal gains over long-term national development. We would build churches rather than hospitals.

Trump’s "America First" doctrine underscores the reality that no nation will prioritize Africa’s development over its interests. Trump’s policy was a clear message that the United States would not act as the world's benefactor, and why blame him? Don’t we say charity begins at home? Well, only some African leaders think charity starts at some bank in Zurich, Switzerland.

Trump’s America First policy may be a political decision, but it should be a moment of reflection for our African leaders. Africa cannot continue to rely on Western countries, China, or international financial institutions to solve its problems. The solution must come from within. We have often talked about this but lack the moral courage to act. Most of our leaders are selfish, and they do not care.

If African leaders adopted a more pragmatic and self-reliant approach to governance, changes in global policies, whether in Washington, London, Berlin, or Beijing, would have minimal impact on Africa's progress.

It is time for Africa to embrace policies prioritizing good governance as a pathway toward reducing dependency on aid. We must build resilient economies. Addressing corruption, inefficiency, and poor leadership is paramount. Until African nations take ownership of their development and manage their resources with integrity, we will remain vulnerable to the geopolitical decisions of external powers and continue to be bullied by those who see us as beggars.

Our leaders must govern with a vision that transcends election cycles. Politics is about service. In Ghana and Africa, it’s a meal ticket. We have bred a crop of career politicians, young or old, but hungry; it seems not to serve but to get rich.

And finally, the shifting geopolitical landscape should serve as a wake-up call for Africa to redefine its development path. A prosperous and self-sufficient Africa would not need to worry about who occupies the White House, 10 Downing Street, or the Federal Chancellery in Berlin.

Very soon, we shall have a “UK First,” a “Germany First,” and a “China First.” Maybe these will be more gentle or palatable in their manifestation, but they will have the same long-term effect on Africa.

A resilient Africa could engage with global powers on an equal footing. It is time for Africa to rise, not as a perpetual recipient of international charity, but as a formidable economic and political force. Let us have some “Africa First” for a change.