Veteran journalist and Pan-Africanist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has called on Ghana and other African countries to pursue genuine economic independence through industrialisation, value addition, and strategic self-reliance.
Speaking at the second session of the 15th Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Lectures at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) on Friday, Mr Pratt argued that many of the economic challenges Kwame Nkrumah sought to address at independence remain evident across Ghana and the African continent today.
Delivering a lecture on the theme, "Kwame Nkrumah, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Perspectives on Constitutionalism, Development and Pan-Africanism," he said.
According to Mr Pratt, challenges such as dependence on raw commodity exports, unemployment, public debt, import dependency, and foreign exchange pressures continue to hinder sustainable development.
He questioned why Ghana continues to import products that could be produced locally and stressed the need for deliberate policies that promote industrialisation and value addition.
Touching on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Mr Pratt said the creation of larger markets alone would not guarantee economic growth unless African countries developed the capacity to manufacture and trade their own goods.
He advocated stronger investment in transport infrastructure, harmonised standards, industrial value chains, digital connectivity, and African-controlled financial institutions to facilitate trade and economic development across the continent.
"A larger market without production can simply become a larger market for goods elsewhere," he cautioned.
Mr Pratt further urged governments to adopt long-term national development strategies that transcend electoral cycles.
He emphasised the importance of sustained investments in industrialisation, education, agriculture, healthcare, energy, technology, and infrastructure.
He also called for deeper continental cooperation in areas including natural resource management, climate negotiations, public health, and emerging technologies.
The veteran journalist noted that achieving the vision of economic self-determination championed by Ghana's first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, remains a critical task for current and future generations.
His remarks followed an earlier lecture on Thursday, during which he argued that constitutional reforms alone could not solve Ghana's challenges, insisting that the conduct of political leaders and state institutions was equally important.
As part of the memorial lectures, UCC conferred an honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., honoris causa) on Mr Pratt in recognition of his contributions to journalism, public discourse, and Pan-Africanism.
In an address, the Chancellor of UCC, Dr (Sir) Sam Esson Jonah, challenged Ghanaians, particularly the youth, to move beyond commemorating Kwame Nkrumah and begin engaging critically with the ideas that shaped his vision for Ghana and Africa.
He observed that many students know Nkrumah primarily through historical events and monuments but have limited understanding of his ideas on African unity, development, self-determination, and neo-colonialism.
"Too many Ghanaian students meet him only as a statue," Sir Sam said.
He encouraged participants to approach Nkrumah's legacy with an open mind, focusing on the lessons and ideas that remain relevant to Ghana's development.
Sir Sam further noted that nearly seven decades after independence, Ghana continues to export commodities such as cocoa, gold, and bauxite largely in raw form while importing products that could be produced locally.
"The case for adding value to what God placed beneath our feet no longer needs to be argued. It needs to be acted upon," he stated.
He urged young people to critically assess the country's development journey and consider how much of Nkrumah's vision remains unfulfilled.
"Yesterday we heard how a generation won its freedom. Today you will hear what a generation meant to do with it. You will be asked, in effect, to judge how much of that work remains undone," he told students.
