Happy Independence, Ghana!

Sound: Part of Ghana’s National Anthem, retrieved from the CIA World Factbook.

Today, we celebrate Ghana, the first African country in Sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence in 1957. The country was previously called the “Gold Coast” by its colonizer, Britain. Ghana has a rich socio-political and economic history that has influenced its current development.

Let’s now dig deeper into the socio-economic and political context of the country.

Politics and History

While diverse, present-day Ghana was largely dominated by the Asante Asante Kingdom until the 19th Century, when the British finally colonized it. However, the brave Asante and other ethnic groups persistently resisted British imperialism and gained independence in 1957 under Kwame Nkrumah.

After Nkrumah, the country went into political turmoil again, with numerous coups. Specifically, after taking power in the early 1980s, Lt. Jerry Rawlings cracked down on freedom and banned political parties and constitutionalism. He only restored multiparty rule in 1992, marking a turning point in the country’s political history. A series of elections have been held in the country since then. President Akufo-Addo is now serving his second term in office after re-election in 2020, and the country is gearing up for another election in 2024.

Ghana is often used as one of Africa’s most stable democracies and an active player in international affairs. According to the World Bank, the country ranks among the top three African countries for freedom of speech and press. But Ghana’s ascent to the international stage is not new. In fact, the country’s founding father, Kwame Nkrumah, was a dedicated pan-Africanist and the founding member of the Organisation of African Unity, now the African Union. Nkrumah’s successors have inherited the same pan-African spirit. Ghana, for instance, is an active player in peacekeeping missions abroad and a prominent member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc. In 1960, for instance, Ghana participated in the peacekeeping operation in the Congo and the Liberian and Sierra Leonean crises in the early 1990s. In June 2021, Ghana was elected to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2022–2023 term. 

Ghana is one of the African countries with diplomatic representation in Canberra.

Economy and society

In 2019, Ghana was crowned the world’s fastest-growing economy. However, the country is now battling some of the highest inflation rates it has seen in decades. Measured at 50.3% in 2022, Ghana witnessed a very high inflation rate. However, in January 2024, the annual inflation rate increased to 23.5% from 23.2% in the prior month, staying well above the central bank’s target band of 6% to 10% (Trading Economics, 2024). The World Bank estimated growth in Ghana at as low as 1.5% in 2023, remaining muted in 2024, and will be 2.8%. In 2021, the country’s public debt rose from 79.6% to over 90% of GDP in 2022. The country is not doing very badly in terms of unemployment, as the highest unemployment rate it has registered since the 1990s was 10% in the year 2000. In fact, in 2022, the unemployment rate in Ghana was estimated at just about 3.5%. 

With a GDP of US$77.3 billion in 2022, Ghana is Africa’s 10th largest country by GDP. The country relies on gold, cocoa, and oil exports. Originally known as the “Gold Coast,”  Ghana is Africa’s largest gold producer, with gold accounting for over 40% of its export earnings. The per capita GDP of Ghana was US$2203.6 in 2022 (the 18th highest in Africa). In fact, in 2010, Ghana achieved middle-income status.

About 56% of Ghanaians were under the age of 25 in 2020, and the country achieved an urbanisation rate of 59.2% in 2023 and a literacy rate of 79% (2018 estimate). 

Happy 67th Independence Day, Ghana!

Shaping Africa’s Tomorrow: Unveiling the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan!

The African Union launched its Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan (STYIP) for Agenda 2063 on February 17, 2024.

The continent is moving forward, and leadership from the African Union is driving the direction of development with the powerful Agenda 2063.
There are rivers still to cross, but we don’t walk alone in Africa; we walk together.

The document for the launch of the STYIP defines 7 aspirations for the continent, 20 accompanying goals, and 10 moonshot interventions to attain the aspirations.

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Africa’s GDP growth trajectory (4%) is much higher than the global average (2.7% – 3.2%).

70% of African countries are already upper or lower-middle-income countries.

60% of Africa’s population is under 25, and by 2030 42% of global youth will be in Africa.

In 37 African countries, less than half the population can afford 1GB of data a month (giving context to improvements needed for the continent).

The STYIP launch notes that Africa has partnerships across the world and that it will “increasingly engage in alliances,” such as its recent membership in the G20.

The STYIP also notes that African countries are increasingly taking common positions on many issues pertaining to the continent’s development, such as the AfCFTA (the Continental Free Trade Agreement), Africa’s Common Position on Food Systems, Environment, and Climate Change Issues, and Collectively Addressing Pandemics such as Ebola and COVID-19.

This all comes at a time of shifting geopolitics, slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and slowing global growth in the decade preceding it. Africa is rising as a strong and growing continent.

Taken together, these facts and the language of the STYIP show that the stage is set for Africa to be a partner for countries like Australia for mutual benefit and development.

As Africa advances to a unified position in the world and the African Renaissance occurs, nobody will want to be left out of the chance to be friendly with this majestic and growing continent.

This short piece was written by Estelle Stambolie for the ANU African Studies Network.

African Union to focus on Education in 2024!

Embracing Nelson Mandela’s wisdom that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” underscores the critical role education plays in shaping Africa’s future.

As the continent experiences unprecedented growth, with its population set to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, investing in quality education becomes paramount.

The statistics from UNESCO reveal a concerning reality, with over one-fifth of children aged 6 to 11 in Sub-Saharan Africa out of school, along with one-third of youth aged 12 to 14. Additionally, nearly 60% of young people aged 15 to 17 are not enrolled in educational institutions. This situation calls for urgency to address the educational gaps and ensure every young African has access to quality learning opportunities.

Despite the education challenges on the continent, progress has been made. Namibia, Libya, Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, and South Africa have witnessed notable achievements, with literacy rates reaching as high as 92%.

Over the past decade, African governments and development partners have committed unprecedented efforts to guarantee that no child is left behind in accessing education.

This year’s African Union theme, “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa,” reflects a collective commitment to shaping a future-ready African generation.

We applaud the African Union, governments, and development partners for prioritising education, acknowledging that it is a key driver for progress, innovation, and societal transformation in the 21st century.

Together, we strive towards building resilient education systems that empower every African with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.

The Individual Deprivation Measure South Africa Country Study Results

Helen Suich, Senior Research Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy (ANU)

The Individual Deprivation Measure, or IDM, is an individual-level, gender sensitive measure of multidimensional deprivation—it measures deprivation at the individual rather than household level, and is designed to discern differences in the experiences of poverty between men and women. The IDM program was a partnership between the ANU, the International Women’s Development Agency and the Australian Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade. The ANU led a studies in Indonesia in 2018 and in South Africa in 2019. The IDM programme ran between 2016 and 2020, and related research is being taken forward as the Individual Measurement of Multidimensional Poverty at ANU.

In South Africa, 14 dimensions of deprivation were measured (shown in the figure below). Some of these are already partially covered in some existing surveys (e.g. food security and access to drinking water), but the IDM includes a range of economic and social aspects which are not usually covered (e.g. the relationships, clothing and footwear and voice dimensions). Further, several IDM dimensions include aspects beyond that which is typically assessed. For example, the work dimension covers not only issues around paid work, but also includes themes on unpaid domestic and care work and on the double labour burden that can arise when both paid and unpaid work are done.

The South African country study had two parts:

  • a national-level main sample, that interviewed 8,652 individuals, 16 years and older;
  • a purposive sample that interviewed 826 individuals with disabilities and their household members (2,311 individuals in total), in Gauteng and Limpopo provinces.

There are a wide range of resource available for those who are interested in the results of the survey and the methods used for the analysis.

A revised analysis of the data was undertaken, using slightly different methods, and a series of briefing notes and documentation was produced. There are six briefing notes, describing the results for the main sample, as well as the analyses by gender, by age group, by disability status and by rural/urban locality. The sixth summarises the South African country study and the revised data analysis methods. Accompanying documentation includes reports describing the revised methods in detail, as well as providing all of the revised results. A comprehensive report published in May 2020 summarises the initial analysis of both the main sample and the purposive sample, which is available here.

There is also a series of videos, one summarising the South African country study, one for the overall results of the main sample, based on the revised analysis methods, and one each describing the results by gender, age, rural/urban locality and disability status.

A launch of the report was held in early August 2020, with Australia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Ms Gita Kamath, and the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in South Africa, Nardos Bekele-Thomas, which you can watch below.

 

 

Diane Johnstone

 Congratulations to Di Johnstone of Deakin, ACT, who became AM (Member in the General Division) in the Australia Day Honours, ‘For significant service to international relations through support for creative arts in South Africa, and to the community in Canberra.’

 http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/di-johnstone-honoured-for-services-to-art-animals-and-community-20150125-12ww1b.html

 Di and  another former Australian diplomat to South Africa, Bruce Haigh, were founding donors to Ifa Lethu, a South African foundation.  The original aim of the Foundation was to repatriate South African struggle era art and heritage back into South Africa.

http://www.ifalethu.org.za/

Liberian President Sirleaf launches CAP on Post 2015 Development Agenda

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, and Chairperson of the High Level Committee on the African Common Position (CAP)on the Post-2015 Development Agenda has launched the CAP in Monrovia.
The High Level Committee (HLC) chaired by President Sirleaf was set up by the African Union during its May 2013 Summit to draft a CAP on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The HLC identified areas of priority to Africa, and committee completed its work, after which the African Union adopted the CAP on 31 January 2014. The CAP was subsequently launched by the AU in March 2014 in N’djamena, Chad.

The CAP defines six pillars that are essential to the development of Africa:
1. Structural Economic Transformation and Inclusive Growth;
2. Science Technology and Innovation (STI);
3. People Centered Development;
4. Environmental Sustainability, Natural Resources and Natural Disaster Management;
5. Peace and Security; and
6. Financing and Partnership for Implementation.

Each of these pillars is anchored on good governance and serves as a foundation for ending poverty, promoting prosperity and achieving sustainable and equitable development.

For more details on this story,please click http://www.emansion.gov.lr/2press.php?news_id=3002&related=7&pg=sp.

For more information about the Post-2015 Development Agenda, please click http://www.post2015hlp.org/.

We hope All African states will strive to attain all the six pillars agreed under the Common African Position on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria becomes Africa’s biggest economy

The Federal Republic of Nigeria has now become Africa’s biggest economy, surpassing the Republic of South Africa. GDP for 2013 in the Africa’s top oil producer was 80.22 trillion naira, or $509.9bn as disclosed by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistic on 6 April 2014. This is good news for  Africa in general, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria in particular. The challenge remains how this GDP growth translates into human development. Whatever the situation, Nigerians and Africans should be proud of this forward march. Hope to see Nigeria on the G20 and the BRICS sooner than later. Those are places well deserved.

For more details, please click the link below.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/04/nigeria-becomes-africa-largest-economy-20144618190520102.html#.U0kNSfHDqHw.facebook

 

 

Happy Independence Anniversary to Zimbabwe

The Australian National University African Students Association (ANUASA) congratulates the Government and People of the Republic of Zimbabwe on this auspicious occasion commemorating the 34th Independence Anniversary of that great country. We extend heartfelt felicitations and sincerest best wishes to the Government and gallant People of Zimbabwe. As Zimbabwe observes this historic event, we pray that its government will continue to work with all African states in furtherance of the principles of the African Union and the United Nations. May President Mugabe be endowed with abundant wisdom and strength as he leads his compatriots to greater prosperity.

Executive Producer, Half of a Yellow Sun

YEWANDE SADIKU, is a Nigerian investment banker who was keynote speaker at the 2013 African Studies Association conference in Perth (see http://afsaap.org.au/conference/conference-2013 ) As Executive Producer of the film Half of a Yellow Sun, she helped to raise financing for the film adaptation of the best selling novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, directed by Nigerian Biyi Bandele. She described how rich Nigerians were reluctant to put money into the film while the cash flow was for the filming in Calabar was maintained by smaller investors, including admirers of the novel.