Ghana must boldly rethink its development strategy by deliberately selecting and supporting “winners” who can drive growth and development across the economy.
This is the strong conviction of the former Power Minister, Dr. Kwabena Donkor.
Speaking in an interview with The High Street Journal, Dr. Donkor said the country’s long-standing goal of improving the lives of all citizens remains valid. However, achieving it requires a more focused and strategic approach.
The corporate governance consultant believes that the country cannot move everybody at a go, and hence, there is a need to start from somewhere.
“Based on the national imperative of improving the lives of all Ghanaians, we have to start from somewhere. In other jurisdictions, countries that today have developed, and we almost envy them, they had to choose winners. You cannot move everybody at a go. So you choose winners,” he explained.
Choosing Winners to Drive Growth
According to Dr. Donkor, countries that Ghana often admires today did not develop by spreading resources thinly across all sectors.
Instead, they identified key individuals, businesses, or sectors, which he describes as “winners,” and invested heavily in them.
This is also an idea espoused by CDD Ghana Fellow, Dr. Hene Aku Kwapong. Proponents of the path justify that it is not favoritism, but strategic prioritisation.
By concentrating resources on the winners, strong businesses emerge, productivity increases, and jobs are created. Dr. Donkor says over time, these “winners” become engines of growth for the wider economy.
From Winners to Growth Poles
Dr. Donkor emphasized that these winners should not exist in isolation. When strategically located across regions, they can evolve into what development experts call growth poles.
In practical terms, a thriving business hub in one region creates demand for transport, logistics, housing, and services. This leads to smaller businesses emerging to support larger ones, and hence the entire local economies begin to expand.
“And the multiplier effect, for example, if you choose winners, locate them somewhere across the regions, there is going to be a need for other satellite services to serve them. So they become growth pools, as we see in development management,” he indicated.
Empowerment Beyond White-Collar Jobs
Central to Dr. Donkor’s argument is a shift in how Ghana defines empowerment, especially for the youth.
Dr. Donkor challenged the traditional focus on formal employment, stressing that wealth is rarely built on salaries alone.
He believes entrepreneurship must take center stage. He is therefore calling for a stronger emphasis on skills training, business development support, and practical learning through experience.
Failure as a Building Block
A key part of this entrepreneurial journey, he said, is accepting failure as part of success. He emphasized that very few people get it right the first time.
Instead of stigmatizing failure, Ghana’s system should encourage experimentation, allow young entrepreneurs to fail and try again, so that they nurture the spirit of resilience and innovation.
According to him, it is through this process that sustainable businesses, and ultimately wealth, are created.
A Shift in National Thinking
Dr. Donkor’s call comes at a time when Ghana is grappling with youth unemployment, slow industrial growth, and rising demands for inclusive development.
His proposal challenges policymakers to move away from broadly and unfocused interventions toward targeted investments, regional growth strategies, and entrepreneur-led development.
