Ghana Urged to Leverage Natural Resources for Development Amid Declining Foreign Aid
Dr. John Kwakye, Director of Research at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), has called on the Ghanaian government to prioritize the utilization of its natural resources to drive national development. This recommendation comes in response to the significant reduction in foreign aid, which has traditionally been a key source of funding for the country’s growth initiatives.
Dr. Kwakye’s remarks coincide with reports that the Trump administration plans to dissolve the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a major global aid provider. The agency is expected to be merged with the State Department, a move that has already caused disruptions, including staff being instructed to avoid the USAID headquarters in Washington, D.C., on February 3.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that he is now the acting head of USAID, which oversees the distribution of billions of dollars in aid worldwide. Highlighting the urgency of the situation, Dr. Kwakye stated on his X (formerly Twitter) page, “Foreign aid is rapidly dwindling. Ghana should look more to its natural resources to fund its development.”
Echoing this sentiment, Gabby Otchere Darko, Senior Partner at Africa Legal Associates, emphasized the broader implications of reduced foreign aid. In a Facebook post, he expressed concern over the potential impact on livelihoods, particularly in health programs funded by international donors.
“This is significant,” Darko wrote. “Consider the countless lives that depend on these programs. My sister, a medical doctor, manages one of the largest CDC-funded HIV/TB programs in South Africa. While she may find alternative employment, what about the thousands of professionals trained for such initiatives, now suspended? And what about the patients whose survival hinges on these services?”
Darko further stressed the need for Africa to take greater control of its future. “This underscores why Africa must intensify its efforts to own its destiny. We, as Africans, must become the primary financiers of our well-being and dignity,” he added.
The call for Ghana and other African nations to reduce reliance on foreign aid and instead harness their natural wealth reflects a growing push for self-sufficiency and sustainable development on the continent. As global aid dynamics shift, the focus on domestic resource mobilization has become more critical than ever.
