If you are looking for an exciting debate on how culture may impact economic development, particularly within the African context, spend some time in Dr. Stephen Armah’s Economic Development class. For Dr. Armah, former Head of Business Department at Ashesi, the role of culture as a critical determinant for economic success cannot be over-emphasised. And in his new book, Nurturing Sustainable Prosperity in West Africa; Examples from Ghana, he highlights various aspects of Ghanaian culture and the impact this has had on the country’s development.
“Traveling across the continent, many would realise that Africans still have strong ties to centuries-old traditions,” he shared. “No matter how exposed they may be to other culture, most Africans revert to these ‘established traditions’ if proposed ‘new ways’ are not effective. It is therefore essential to study people’s culture, particularly in developing policy in Africa, to be able to leverage it for progress. Writing this book was inspired by this belief, and my hopes to deepen understanding of how Ghanaian culture influences our development.”
Growing up in Ghana in the late 1980s, Dr. Armah lived through some of the critical developmental stages of Ghana’s democracy. And while he pursued his undergraduate degree in the U.S, he stayed connected to Ghana. Promptly after completing his doctorate, he moved back to Ghana to teach Economics at Ashesi.
“Moving to the United States to study Economics after growing up in Ghana, I realised most of the Economic theories in my textbooks applied to the West,” he shared. “Many of the assumptions made about developing countries were often untested, and ignored the human element and cultural perspectives. What does each society value? In Ghana, for example, a significant amount of capital is invested in ceremonies, such as funerals. Some families may even borrow for such spending. These practices hold insights into how people approach investments and savings, that could be harnessed for designing interesting financing policies. In the absence of such policies, many families will take on unsustainable debt that can ultimately affect public investment.”
Through the new book, Dr. Armah hopes readers will find an introduction to strategies for reforming Ghana’s economy, and moving the country to a more efficient state.
“We are in the process of changing things for the better in Ghana, so I advise that people are not discouraged on being able to contribute to transformation,” he shares. “Professor Stephen Adei did it; Patrick Awuah did it; but these are just a few. I am looking to discover many others like them, and share stories on how they engaged cultural norms in building the support of their communities to adapt to positive change.”
