Nkrumah’s vision under threat – Dan Rakiya director

By Solomon Tetteh Nartey

The Executive Director of the Dan Rakiya Institute, Al-Hassan Sulaiman Bello, has warned that the unity and industrial sovereignty championed by Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, are under threat.

He urged the adoption of deliberate state policies to reverse the trend.

Speaking on Business Breakfast on Zed 101.9FM, Mr Bello said Dr Nkrumah viewed his identity first as African, then Ghanaian, with tribal affiliation coming last.

“The last of his identity was his tribe. Ghana’s emphasis on ethnic and regional difference, even in public spaces such as airports, represents a failure to realise Nkrumah’s ambition of a united nation,” Mr Bello said.

He recalled how Dr Nkrumah dissolved parties formed on regional or ethnic bases, recognising the danger of political fragmentation.

“He saw that if we don’t pursue a deliberate, intentional approach to see ourselves as one, in the long run we’ll be divided,” he noted.

Mr Bello criticised Ghana’s tendency to import goods when local capacity exists or could be developed.

Referencing the struggles of homegrown firms, he argued that a genuine commitment to state-led development would prioritise purchases from domestic, state-backed enterprises, even if initial costs were higher.

He explained that while short-term government expenditure might increase, long-term benefits would include reduced import bills, technician training and internship opportunities for tertiary students.

The Dan Rakiya director called for a revival of Nkrumah’s emphasis on national unity and the adoption of a strategic, long-term industrial policy to build local capacity.

“Deliberate policy, intentionality, that is what will move us from dependence to sovereignty,” he added.