The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), in collaboration with the National School of Government (South Africa) and the Kenya School of Government, has initiated a high-level policy advancement process aimed at strengthening economic governance and fostering inclusive growth across the African continent.

These three prominent African institutions commenced their deliberations at the “Economic Governance – Policy, Practices and Integration for Inclusive Growth in Africa” conference, recently held in Accra.

The event brought together government officials and academics from Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya, marking the beginning of a crucial discourse to harmonise economic and governance policies across the continent.

Ms. Pinky Kekana, Deputy Minister for the Department of Public Service and Administration for South Africa, emphasised that addressing policy bottlenecks on the African continent would require a collective effort from individual African countries.

She highlighted the importance of inter-country learning, where nations could share best practices and effective policies to engender economic growth and good governance.

The Deputy Minister underscored the need for Africa to develop homegrown solutions to its socio-economic challenges.

She stressed that multinational companies operating on the continent must partner with indigenous companies to facilitate knowledge and expertise sharing.

“We must ensure, as a continent, that big companies partner with small homegrown companies, so that not only do they share expertise, but they also help small and medium companies to become bigger. It’s a policy of the government of South Africa that can be emulated by other countries on the continent,” she stated.

Professor Samuel K. Bonsu, Rector of GIMPA, acknowledged the impact of global events on Africa and stressed the need for indigenous policy interventions to minimise these effects.

He advocated for an African-centred policy framework to address the continent’s socio-economic policies, recognising its unique challenges and opportunities.

“We have our internal issues to deal with, and they are not considered global problems, or they are not considered problems for others to deal with. And I strongly agree with that notion, that our problems are our problems, and perhaps we should be the ones solving our problems. “

We should not be dependent on others to tell us what to do and how to resolve our problems,” he said.

The Rector noted that the forum provided a vital opportunity for African countries to collectively address regional issues and challenges presented by the global landscape.

By Jibril Abdul Mumuni  

GNA