The Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Sir Sam Jonah, has criticised Ghana’s post-independence development trajectory, arguing that the country has devoted too much time to debating the legacy of Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, rather than pursuing the nation-building initiatives associated with his administration.
According to Sir Jonah, Ghana’s prolonged debates over Nkrumah have distracted attention from the need to translate national aspirations into tangible projects capable of driving economic and social development.
He made the remarks on Thursday, September 17, 2026, during the opening of the 15th Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Lectures at UCC.
Reflecting on Nkrumah’s record, Sir Jonah said the former leader demonstrated the importance of investing in infrastructure and institutions as part of the nation-building process.
“Nkrumah built. Akosombo. Tema. The motorway. The Ghana Education Trust schools. The universities, including this one.”
He added: “Whatever else is said of him, he understood that independence without industry is a flag without a factory.
“And we, his heirs, have too often been content with the flag.”
Sir Jonah further argued that the country’s lengthy discussions about Nkrumah’s legacy have not been matched by sufficient efforts to replicate the practical development initiatives undertaken during his administration.
“We have spent sixty years arguing about Nkrumah and rather less time doing what he actually did, which was to build things,” he stated.
His comments formed part of his address at the memorial lectures, which are being held under the theme, “Kwame Nkrumah, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow – Perspectives on Constitutionalism, Development and Pan-Africanism.”
Sir Jonah said Ghana could draw important lessons from Nkrumah’s approach to development, particularly the need to transform national ambitions into concrete projects, institutions and initiatives that improve the living conditions of citizens.
He also highlighted the role of universities and other intellectual institutions in national development, arguing that their responsibility should extend beyond generating knowledge to ensuring that knowledge is translated into practical solutions.
“A university is the one place in any country where silence is not an option – where knowing is supposed to become saying, and saying is supposed to become doing,” he said.
By: Prince Martey-Sogar