Lord Paul Boateng: Ghana must break free from aid dependence and valuing foreign passports over local education

Lord Paul Boateng, a member of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom, has urged Ghana’s political leadership to take decisive action to end the nation's dependence on external aid and to combat the devaluation of local educational achievements in comparison to foreign passports.

Speaking at the 2024 Annual Leadership Lecture at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on Tuesday, June 18, Lord Boateng highlighted a troubling trend observed on social media. 

“We are held down in an impoverished and conflicted posture by our dependence on external aid and the great powers,” he said.

“It is something terrible when a statement on the internet that a Dutch Passport is worth more than a Ghanaian PhD goes viral. We cannot allow it to be so and leadership must be at the heart of our response.”

Lord Boateng’s remarks were made in reference to a viral online statement comparing the value of a Dutch Passport to a Ghanaian PhD, which he cited as an indicator of the deep-rooted issues stemming from reliance on foreign aid and the undervaluing of local achievements. 

He echoed President Akufo-Addo’s 2018 statement made alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, which emphasized Africa's need to wean itself off external aid to foster true independence and development. 

“Break the vicious cycle of dependence on external aid. Who here does not remember the moment His Excellency the President [Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo] stood next to the president of France [Emmanuel] Macron and went viral, making the point about the need for us to cease relying on external aid if we are to break that vicious cycle of dependence on external aid and those great powers who have fed and continue to feed on Africa’s resources?” Lord Boateng recalled.

Addressing the theme “Fulfilling the Promise: The Challenge of Leadership! Moving from Rhetoric to Delivery,” Lord Boateng stressed that Ghana’s prolonged poverty and dependence on external aid have kept the nation in a state of conflict and economic struggle. He called for strong leadership to break free from this cycle and to prioritize the development and recognition of local talents and qualifications.

In his concluding remarks, Lord Boateng urged Ghana’s leaders to take proactive steps to address these issues and to inspire a renewed sense of pride and self-reliance among Ghanaians. “Leadership must be at the heart of our response,” he reiterated, emphasizing the critical role of effective and visionary leadership in transforming the nation’s future.