A long way come but still a long way to go

On a scale of African counterparts, Ghana has come far.


In 1957, it was the first sub-Saharan country to gain its independence. Since then, it can boast that it has not had a war. The majority of African countries familiar to most Americans became so due to a war or famine (such as Ethiopia, Rwanda and Sudan). This is largely due to the fact that before colonization, Africa was divided based on ethnic and language groups (just like in Europe, Germans live in Germany and French live in France). During the Scramble for Africa, marked by the Berlin Conference, many ethnic groups were divided into colonies and territories based on the desire of European powers that did not take the location of various ethnic groups into consideration. This has resulted in many ethnicities being forced to live together as nations after struggling for independence from their colonial masters.

For this reason, Ghana (formerly the British Gold Coast Colony) is comprised of approximately 100 ethnic groups. Yes, Ghana has had its share of military coup d’etats and corruption has not been eradicated but never has it had a war. As the country has progressed throughout the years, its democracy has become an example to many and has been dubbed the “island of peace” in a very chaotic Africa. Many believe this is the reason that it was the first African country Barack Obama chose to visit after he became president.

Ghana has become a center for business and tourism in Africa. It has seen a phenomenal boost in its music and film industry with the emergence of ‘hip-life,’ the Ghanaian version of hip-hop and ‘Ghollywood.’ Improvements to the educational system are ever-progressing and many come from countries all over Africa to its universities. At independence there was just one university but there are now 5 public universities and the establishment of many private universities. There has been expansion in almost every part of the public and private sectors from mining (Ghana has an extensive Gold mining industry) to health to the fashion industry and of course, agriculture, its main revenue source. Ghana is currently the second largest exporter of cocoa in the world.

All these are achievements Ghanaians boast of daily but there is much more to be done. There are still many that live without electricity, running water and many amenities such as schools and hospitals. There is also a technological breach between the have’s and the have-not’s that is similar to the digital divide the US previously experienced. Internet access is open and available in urban centers but scarce in rural regions. Many visit cafes and in-house internet connections are still not a widespread phenomenon. This shows that Ghana still has a long way to go but is steadily on the path to getting there.