Former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has issued a stark warning that Ghana's economy risks being 'stuck in a hole for a long time to come' unless the country confronts the issue of livable wages and the purchasing power of its citizens.
Speaking on the Konnected Minds podcast, the former minister questioned the sustainability of an economic model where workers cannot afford basic necessities.
"You want people to produce for what market when you are paying people 2,000 cedis, and you know it doesn't suffice for transport, but that is what you are paying them?" he asked.
"If we don't confront the issue of lack of livable wages in this country, you're going to be stuck in a hole for a long time to come," Dr Adutwum warned.
He argued that increasing productivity and paying workers a living wage would create a multiplier effect that generates more jobs, rather than suppressing wages in the name of attracting investment.
"Some people will say, 'Why do you do that? The other people even don't have jobs.' But productivity is what the multiplier effect is—it creates more jobs," he said.
The former minister drew a contrast between Ghana's economic trajectory and that of developed countries, asking: "If America was in the same situation that we are in, what would they do?"
He argued that national transformation requires bipartisan cooperation and a shared sense of urgency. "It's not about politics—at that point, it's about the survival of our nation," he said.
Dr Adutwum lamented that Ghana's economic growth remains far below the threshold required for meaningful transformation. "If you want to transform your country, the research will tell you that your economy must grow between 10 to 12 per cent for 20 years consistently. We do 4 per cent, and you think your country is being transformed?" he said.
He warned against complacency, noting that graduates continue to struggle for employment despite official claims of progress.
"How do you get on track to transformation when graduates are not getting jobs?" he asked.
He called on Ghanaians to hold politicians accountable, urging voters to demand concrete plans for graduate employment and to reject leaders who fail to deliver.
"When elections are going on, how many of us are held to account? You sign a seven-point plan for graduate employment before I vote for you. If I'm a graduate, give me the plan, and when you come and you are not doing it, I'm going to make noise. I'll kick you out," he said.
Dr Adutwum insisted the country's economic challenges require honest dialogue and a departure from business as usual. "This country must transform its fortunes. We are not in a good place. Don't allow people to kid you that we are resetting something and we are going to see transformation. The journey to the land of transformation is not yet midway," he said.
