Paul Boateng, a member of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom, has urged Ghana’s political leadership to make conscious efforts to break the cycle of dependence on external aid for development.

Speaking at the 2024 Annual Leadership Lecture at the Kofi Ohene-Konadu Auditorium at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on Tuesday, June 18, Lord Boateng referenced President Akufo-Addo’s 2018 statement with French President Emmanuel Macron, highlighting the necessity for Africa to become self-reliant.

“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 to rely 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 and whose activities with their willing collaborators hold Africa down in an impoverished and conflicted posture?” Lord Boateng remarked.

Addressing the theme “Fulfilling the Promise: The Challenge of Leadership! Moving from Rhetoric to Delivery,” Lord Boateng emphasized that Ghana’s prolonged dependence on external aid has contributed to its impoverishment.

He also expressed disappointment over a social media post that compared the value of a Dutch passport to a Ghanaian PhD, illustrating the negative perception of Ghana’s global standing.

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

Lord Boateng called for robust leadership to address these issues and propel Ghana towards sustainable development and self-reliance.