Obiri Boahen Urges African Gov’ts to Step Back from Projects and Empower Private Entities

Lawyer Nana Obiri Boahen, a private legal practitioner, has advised African governments to refrain from executing projects and instead leave such tasks to private entBoahen

In an interview, Lawyer Nana Obiri Boahen argued that government involvement in developmental projects is a key reason for the struggles faced by the African Union (AU) and its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity (OAU).

He lamented that since the era of leaders like Kwame Nkrumah, Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Muammar al-Gaddafi, Sekou Toure, Modibo Keita, and Kenneth Kaunda, the AU has been struggling.

He pointed out the collapse of several projects initiated by Ghana’s founding fathers, such as Ghana’s railway networks, Metro Mass Transport, and SSNIT hotels.

Lawyer Nana Obiri Boahen emphasized the importance of the private sector as a driver of growth, commending Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for prioritizing the private sector.

He suggested that instead of building affordable housing, governments should reduce cement prices and delegate housing projects to private contractors, taxing them on a monthly basis.

The former NPP deputy general secretary also noted that countries like Malaysia and Singapore have advanced by empowering the private sector to execute projects.
On the issue of currency, he proposed that African countries adopt a single currency to facilitate trade across the continent.