The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged Ghanaians to prioritise business development, innovation and productivity over political rhetoric, saying the country’s economic future depends on building a culture of enterprise rather than excessive partisan focus.
Speaking at the Ghana Business Leaders Conclave at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Otumfuo said Ghana’s progress over the decades had been slowed by a political culture that often places party loyalty above national development.
“But we must be honest enough to admit that the past decades have been too dominated by politics,” he stated.
The Asantehene noted that while political discourse has remained dominant in national life, entrepreneurs, innovators and hardworking citizens who contribute directly to economic growth have not received the same level of recognition.
“We have sung the praises of politicians and ignored those whose toil, innovation, and enterprise drive nations forward,” he said.
According to him, the next phase of Ghana’s development must focus on production, entrepreneurship and value creation if the country is to build a resilient economy capable of improving living standards.
“So, after almost 70 years, the lesson is clear. We have had enough of talk,” he declared.
“Ghana must now become a nation of builders. We must move from political rhetoric to building business. We must move from slogans to production,” he added.
Addressing business leaders, students, policymakers and academics, the Asantehene described the economy as the true indicator of national progress, stressing that economic growth directly affects the welfare of citizens.
“There is no truer measure of our national progress than the state of the economy,” he said.
Otumfuo further encouraged Ghanaians to embrace hard work, discipline, sacrifice and innovation rather than dependency and constant complaints.
“We must move from lamentation to enterprise. We must move from dependency to value creation,” he stated.
He also pointed to countries such as the United States, China, India, Singapore and Vietnam as examples of nations whose prosperity has largely been driven by enterprise, technology and innovation.
“In today’s world, business is the driver of prosperity,” he said.
The Asantehene noted that while government has a responsibility to create favourable policies and maintain stability, citizens and businesses must also take responsibility for innovation, job creation and adding value to the country’s natural resources.
“The decade before us must be the decade of business,” he said, calling for a collective national effort towards building a strong and sustainable economy.
