The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has reiterated that unless the economies of African countries industrialise, with the goal of adding significant value to its primary products, they cannot create the necessary numbers of good-paying jobs that will enhance the living standards of their peoples.
According to the President, “raw material producing economies do not create prosperity for their people. The way to that goal, the goal of ensuring access to prosperity, is value addition activities in a transformed and a diversified modern economy.”
President Akufo-Addo was speaking at the opening of the 53rd Zambia International Trade Fair, on Thursday, June 29, 2017, the last day of his official State Visit to that country, when he made this known.
Speaking on the theme “Innovation for Industrialisation”, the President stated that it is for this reason that one of the flagship programmes of his government is the “one district, one factory” initiative.
Through public-private partnerships, President Akufo-Addo told his Zambian audience that his government aims to establish at least one industrial enterprise in each of the 216 Districts of Ghana, and ensure that Ghana no longer becomes a retailer of cheap imported goods.
“The establishment of these factories will mean that each district becomes an economic growth pole, the centre for the creation of jobs, and, thereby, halt the phenomenon of rural-urban migration of our nation’s youth,” he added.
However, the process of value-addition to Africa’s raw materials, the President stressed, “starts with adding value to our human capital through an education system that provides every child with the skills to realize their full potential.”
Africa, he explained, needs a confident, educated workforce to be able to compete effectively in the global economy.
“This is why, for my part, I have made education one of the foundations of my vision to build a knowledge-based, industrialised economy in Ghana. Access to free, universal, quality, basic education is the key to participation in the new global economy,” he said.
Africa’s problems present us with opportunities
With Africa’s hopes for prosperity and attaining a proper place among the comity of nations remaining unfulfilled, President Akufo-Addo stated that the problems confronting the continent are largely the result of the failure of leadership.
“You could, if you were so minded, look on the extent of the problems that face our continent and region and feel overwhelmed. We should not be. These problems, in my view, present us, in Africa, with opportunities to bring progress and development to our continent,” he said.
He continued, “With the aid of science and technology, the promotion of enterprise, innovation and creativity, and the spread of democratic values, we can construct a new era of prosperity for all the peoples of Africa.”
President Akufo-Addo also stressed the crucial importance of small and medium scale enterprises to the economies of Africa, with nearly 95% of all businesses on the continent being small-scale enterprises.
“They are the heartbeat of our economy, and are at the core of Africa’s private sector. In every city, town, village or hamlet in our respective countries, these small and medium scale enterprises support the livelihoods of our communities. At the national level, they contribute significantly to our gross domestic product and taxes. Indeed, the survival of most countries on the continent is directly anchored in the success of small and medium-scale enterprises,” he added.
Promoting access to digital technology for SMEs, particularly for our youth, he stressed, will enable them realise their full potential, the ripple effects of which would see huge economic gains in the shortest possible time.
In concluding, the President reiterated his conviction that Africa can engineer its transition from poverty to prosperity in a generation.
“We are determined to do that in our generation, and ensure that succeeding generations will be neither victims nor pawns of the international economic order,” he added.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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NPP Rhetoric in opposition: Rule of Law, Zero Tolerance of Corruption, Probity and Accountability, Development in Freedom, We have the men to deliver, Kukurudu, Eeshi, Ghanaians are suffering from massive corruption. Why should we suffer in our own motherland? "Over the last ten years they've had more than 10 billion dollars of donor assitance. What have they done with it? Nothing"-- Akufo-Addo GTV talking Point program in the Mid 1990's
This is a vital piece of information touted to the generality of the populace; but how much of this essential quest has trickled down to where it most urgently needed to work on: the academic learning institutions in the countries. The curricula of all these schools need revisiting for the urgency of the existential problems our economies are tinkling with for industrialization, and for technology engineering know-how acquisitions. Attention to the values our ongoing lifestyle lack needs visiting.
Compare the words and tones of your pre and post wiseman' s comment. In your first comment you were attacking the president as if he is just traveling and talking. My brother Presidency is not an easy responsibility especially in Africa where were are behind every facets of socio-economic and political developments. Criticisms are good, but the constructive ones are the best for our fast and consistent development. At this point of Nana's Presidency he needs to move with care in realigning the economic and political landscape of the nation to assure continuous national productivity and cohesion.And then gradually and strategically roll in his party's agenda. Therefore we can criticize, discuss and appraise the work of the government but we must not loose sight of the fact of where we are coming from.
Please my post is not in anyway political but an objective opinion of the President, I can give countless examples of what I have described in my piece. I think its important to assess the truth in the piece rather than looking at it politically. wherever the President gets the opportunity, he would introduce new policy initiative or an elaboration of a policy initiative but none is been actioned on or at least putting in place very tangible steps in achieving those initiatives and that is the gravity of my piece, there is nothing political about it but the reality and sincerely objective
@Nduom: For how long are we going to engage in political bicjerking? Nana Addo's Presidency is not an ordinary. He knows exactly what he is doing. An experienced politician with age of wisdom knows the strategy to move his nation and the African countries forward without stepping the toes of our development partners.So nduom as a learnered person put your blind political deferences aside,think and talk constructively to help build our own country and stop trooping to foreign countries.
The financial sector is not innovative in Ghana. The Banks should help us move from the era of paying by cash to the use of credit and debit cards in the market, stores and shops. Electricity and water bills should not be paid by cash but credit and debit cards to reduce taken-aways and corruption.
Leave Nana alone. If he sits at the Flagstaff house you are the same people who will tag him as a sick man. He is traveling too you are complaining.
The talking president, Please sit down and implement your talking, gradually Nana is becoming a Serial Talker with no action... - Constitution of boards in the financialsector outstanding with no board at SEC, NPRA, NIC and even bank of Ghana. - No board at NCA, GCB and NIB, SIC, SIC Life etc The financial sector has literally come to a halt and yet Nana is talking about making Ghana the financial hub of Africa. Please Nana, there is a big difference between rhetoric, which is cheap anyway and real actions, which is the actual work. Please get on with the work and stop the talking.