By James Amoh Junior
Accra, Nov. 6, GNA – Policy consistency, long-term national planning and institutional continuity are critical lessons Ghana and other African countries could draw from China to achieve sustainable development, a panel of experts has said.
They said African governments must build consensus on national development priorities and ensure that policies and programmes continued beyond electoral cycles.
The experts made call at the Ghana Session of the “China’s Governance and Worldwide Development Global Dialogue” during a panel discussion.
The panel included Professor Richard Asante of the University of Ghana; Ms Samia Nkrumah, a politician; Mr Paul Frempong, Executive Director of the Africa-China Centre for Policy and Advisory; and Ambassador Anani Demuyakor, President of the Ghana-China Friendship Association.
Professor Asante identified strong political institutions, pragmatic leadership and people-centred governance as key factors underpinning China’s development.
He said institutional continuity and sustained implementation of national policies had enabled China to pursue long-term development goals beyond short-term political considerations.
Citing Shanghai’s transformation into an international financial centre, he said the city’s development demonstrated the importance of consistent national planning.
Ms Nkrumah said Ghana’s historical relationship with China was rooted in shared development experiences, recalling that the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1960.
She said Ghana’s early development priorities, including agricultural mechanisation, industrialisation, education and skills development, informed its engagement with China.
She urged African governments to build political consensus on national development priorities to ensure continuity across successive administrations.
“If it is manufacturing, so be it; if it is control of our resources, so be it, but we need that consensus,” she said.
Mr Frempong said African countries could adapt relevant aspects of China’s development planning and implementation experience within their multiparty democratic systems.
He proposed linking national development plans to budgets, assigning implementation responsibilities to specific institutions and establishing measurable targets and accountability mechanisms.
He said Ghana needed to identify a manageable number of national priorities around which political parties could build consensus, ensuring that critical development programmes were not abandoned whenever governments changed.
Mr Frempong also stressed the importance of citizen participation and regular monitoring of government commitments, budgets and development outcomes.
Ambassador Demuyakor urged African countries to approach China’s development experience with openness and willingness to learn, saying its governance approach offered useful perspectives, technologies and opportunities.
On China-Africa relations, Professor Asante said the partnership presented an opportunity to strengthen multilateralism and promote a more representative global governance system.
He cited China’s Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilisation Initiative and Global Governance Initiative as platforms for discussions on greater representation of developing countries in international affairs.
Ms Nkrumah called for African development strategies to reflect the continent’s history, cultural values and identity, while urging countries to strengthen continental unity and pursue shared development objectives.
Mr Frempong cited Africa’s admission to the G20 in 2023 as an example of progress in strengthening the continent’s representation in global decision-making.
He said cooperation with China could further support Africa’s development through access to financing, technology and capacity-building opportunities.
Ambassador Demuyakor called for greater openness towards China’s contribution to global development.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: James Amoh Junior
Email: [email protected]