In Ghana’s quest and pursuit of economic transformation and global relevance, it is emerging that the heated national conversation over LGBTQ rights is revealing a much deeper concern about the kind of country Ghana ultimately wants to become.
Deep insights from Dr. Hene Aku Kwapong, Board Member of Ecobank, Founder of Nbosi and a Fellow of CDD-Ghana, reveal that the ongoing debate is less about a minority group and more about the difficult choices that accompany national development.
In a thought-provoking analysis, Dr. Kwapong argues that the issue has become a mirror through which Ghana is confronting fundamental questions about its identity, economic ambitions, and place in an increasingly globally interconnected world.
The Future Ghana Wants
Dr. Kwapong explains that like many emerging economies, Ghana aspires to become a prosperous, modern, and globally competitive nation. The country seeks greater foreign investment, stronger trade relationships, technological advancement and rising living standards for its people.
However, at the same time, many Ghanaians want development without sacrificing the cultural values, traditions, and social norms that have shaped the country’s identity for generations.
The challenge, Dr. Kwapong suggests, is that development is not only about roads, factories and economic growth. It also brings new ideas, new lifestyles and new expectations. As societies become more connected to the world, questions inevitably emerge about how much change they are willing to embrace and how much of their traditional identity they wish to preserve.
For him, it is within this context that he argues that the LGBTQ debate has gained national prominence.
The Trilemma
Central to his analysis is what he describes as a developmental “trilemma.” Ghana, he says, is attempting to pursue three objectives simultaneously: preserving its cultural identity, integrating deeply into the global economy, and maintaining full sovereignty over its social and political choices.
Each goal, desirable on its own, together, however, creates tensions that are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
He explains that deep integration into the global economy brings access to capital, markets, technology and international partnerships. But it also exposes countries to global norms and expectations, particularly around governance, rights and inclusion.
Protecting traditional cultural values may strengthen social cohesion and national identity, but can sometimes create friction with external partners who hold different views.
Meanwhile, insisting on complete sovereignty in an interconnected world may limit access to certain economic opportunities or diplomatic advantages. The result is a balancing act that many developing countries continue to navigate.
The LGBTQ Debate
Viewed through this lens, Dr. Kwapong believes the LGBTQ debate is not merely a disagreement about morality or rights. Rather, it is one of the clearest signs of a society undergoing transition.
Drawing on the World Values framework, he argues that Ghana remains largely rooted in what researchers describe as “survival values”, where economic security, social order and communal stability are prioritised.
In such societies, tradition often plays a central role in maintaining cohesion. However, rapid urbanisation, expanding education, digital connectivity and growing diaspora influences are gradually exposing sections of society to alternative perspectives centred on individual autonomy and self-expression.
These competing forces are now colliding in the public square. For Dr. Kwapong, the key issue is not whether one side wins the argument. Rather, it is whether Ghana can develop the institutional strength and political maturity required to manage differences without turning them into divisive national crises.
Lessons from China and Malaysia
To illustrate possible pathways forward, Dr. Kwapong points to countries such as China and Malaysia, both of which have pursued significant economic transformation while retaining distinct cultural and political identities.
Neither country, he notes, has made debates over social identity the defining focus of national development. Instead, their emphasis has largely been on economic growth, institutional development, social stability and long-term national competitiveness.
The lesson for Ghana is not necessarily to replicate their policies, but to understand the importance of building strong institutions capable of managing social differences while keeping national development goals firmly in focus.
“The real task for Ghana is not just to fly the flag which will just lead down to nowhere, but could probably look at how countries like China, Malaysia, and other few emerging modern economies have made it non-arguable item by managing with transformational legislation that neither embrace or nor support. Instead they implement safeguards that allow the culture to regard it as a purely private choices without public accent,” he remarked.
He argues that societies undergoing economic transformation require credible laws, effective governance and broad-based economic opportunities that reduce insecurity and strengthen public confidence.
The Bottomline
Ultimately, Dr. Kwapong believes Ghana’s future will be shaped by how it balances openness with identity, economic ambition with social cohesion, and sovereignty with global integration.
The LGBTQ debate, in his view, is simply the surface expression of a much larger national conversation about the country’s development path.
As Ghana navigates an increasingly complex world, he urges policymakers, business leaders and citizens alike to look beyond the immediate controversy and focus on the bigger question: What kind of nation does Ghana want to become over the next generation and the sacrifices and lessons it must take?
