growth and development equitably. What is the situation like in Ghana and what is your view of Ghanaians in the Diaspora? In Ghana we have a winner takes all set-up which works, but only on a superficial level. More than fifty percent of the population is not on board and those that fall in this category are perceived to be enemies of the state. We are therefore only tapping into fifty percent of the talent pool and must find a way of tapping into the rest for growth and development. One does not have to be a minister to be a member of government. Using technology we can turn brain drain into brain gain whereby someone in Diaspora can use the knowledge and experience gained in their positions to be part of a government task force. We need to know where these people are and identify their skills set. Many in Diaspora would like to contribute to the economic development of their home countries but may not be in a position to physically move back. The proliferation of ICT’s the world over has made it possible for them to make meaning contributions from wherever they are. The onus now lies with governments to find a way to tap into these resources.
education and the development of expertise. We need leaders who embrace new ideas. With so many online groups, governments need to use them to benefit the country rather than treating them with suspicion. My challenge to Ghanaians in the Diaspora is that they should take an interest in their country. They don’t need to go back but they can send ideas. The differences in per capita income around the world is the reason people migrate but the desire to go back home may not necessarily be economically driven. I left a USD10,000 a month job at
corporate governance. Some months before my tenure was over, I was asked to invite myself to pursue other things and that was that. Africa is very behind in technology. We barely invent or manufacture anything. Even in South Africa, manufacturing in say the vehicle industry has to be done under licence from abroad. In terms of original research and development, we barely invest anything here. There should be policies to force manufacturers from abroad to spend a certain percentage of their revenue on research and development. A lot of work needs to be done to make Africa not just a consumer of foreign technology but also a part of the global value chain. As minister for education, I banned the importation of chalk which spurred the local industry. But soon after, the regime changed and the new government recommenced the importation of chalk. We talk about making the right change and when you get into government, people push a few envelopes your way and you forget what you are there to do.
“I left a USD10,000 a month job at the Africa Development Bank to earn USD 500 a month as a government minister. Not everyone believes in such sacrifice....”
We also need the right leaders. As Minister of Education, I established the Ghana Education Trust Fund where a portion of the amount spent on purchasing goods went to funding
the Africa Development Bank to earn USD 500 a month as a government minister in Ghana. Not everyone believes in such a sacrifice when going into government but they need to understand that this institution is not a dividend sharing enterprise. What was your experience as a director of Telkom South Africa and what is your view of technology in Africa? I was appointed to the board by the Mbeki regime when Telkom was considering various opportunities outside the country. I served for three years during which I was perhaps too independent minded and adhered too strictly to the principles of
Given your extensive life lessons, what would be your advise to young professionals? First, try and discover your purpose on earth early. We all have different talents and some people only find out when they are too old to do anything about it. They are still sorting their destinies out in the
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