On this extremely globalised world, competitors from foreigners inside respective nationwide economies usually are not solely inevitable, however they will also be very helpful for the host economic system.
They’ve their very own advantages of, amongst others, elevated ability and data switch. However for nations which strategically put their very own selves—their very own citizenry and companies—in positions of ‘second-class residents’, such infiltrations by such overseas entities can solely spell doom.
Certainly, once you take the world’s main industries, resembling mining, telecommunications,development, manufacturing, and so on., what will we see prevailing within the Ghanaian ecosystem?
Regrettably, these sectors are sometimes dominated by overseas entities, whereas Ghanaians are relegated to the margins, competing for very restricted alternatives—of their very own residence! However you’re taking developed nations just like the United State of America, and what do you discover?
In sharp distinction, this nation’s prime firms are American-owned (or largely American-owned)—from Apple to Microsoft, Nvidia (the world’s main AI firm), Alphabet (homeowners of Google), Amazon, Meta (Fb), Berkshire Hathaway, Eli Lilly (a number one pharmaceutical firm), Broadcom, Tesla, Walmart, JPMorgan Chase, Visa, UnitedHealth, Exxon Mobil, Mastercard, Oracle, and so on. And there’s a purpose for this: it’s native companies that construct nice nations. Each different issue—exterior elements as well—are merely complementary.
The World Financial institution, put this completely when it wrote relating to the African continent’s mining sector particularly (in an article titled ‘Can Pure Assets Pave the Highway to Africa’s Industrialization?’):
“Even when rising demand for uncooked supplies from the booming cities of China and India, amongst others, has pushed development in Africa’s mining sector, a lot of the continent has not but translated mineral wealth into industrialization and widespread financial improvement.
Most African international locations proceed to export uncooked supplies after which pay a premium to import the merchandise made with them.”
Certainly, African international locations—resource-rich African nations—usually are not dwelling as much as their fullest potentials. It’s because they don’t seem to be their very own topmost producers. They run a highly- reliant foreign-business regime.
And this is the reason the continent is just not succeeding on the tempo it ought to. As a result of right here is the factor about overseas entities: it’s of their nature, fairly understandably, to function a system
of ‘seize and go’. It’s in no overseas enterprise’s organisational mission and imaginative and prescient statements to in the end see to the socio-economic wellbeing and development of their host international locations.
Any nationalistic objective they might have—going past their very own organisational objective—will at all times be for their very own house nations. In contrast to homegrown firms, overseas firms
typically have no real interest in re-investing of their host nations, nor diversifying into different sectors in order to trigger additional development and elevated employment of their host nations. Alternatively, re-investments and permutations are the primary languages of homegrown
firms.
But, the Ghanaian businessman and lady discover themselves at all times on tenuous grounds in their very own house. They don’t have the advantage of an ease of survival as their overseas opponents, as mentioned in final week’s article. But after navigating these many challenges, the only a few Ghanaian companies that handle to outlive, are left to face one more
hurdle—one which may solely be described as self-hate.
Sadly, we frequently go away these essential nationwide conversations to get misplaced in political noise. As a result of there you might have a person as distinguished within the Ghanaian enterprise ecosystem for a few years just like the CEO of the McDan Group, Dr. Daniel McKorley just lately lamenting the dearth of assist or the provision of very restricted assist to Ghanaian companies by, amongst others, Ghanaian governments… Throughout the Ghana CEO Presidential Gala, an occasion which occurred on the 7 th November, 2024, Dr. McKorley famous, “I shall be very blunt… Authorities insurance policies have actually not helped the personal sector. That’s the place we’re sitting proper now, and we now have to be frank about it.”
However some political forces—and Ghanaians, in truth—select to dismiss this as an Oliver asking for extra, But, this doesn’t take away from this very ingrained, broader nationwide concern. And the problem is that this: it’s method too troublesome for Ghanaian companies to search out successes and longevity on this nation of ours.
But, after painstakingly navigating these limitless hurdles, the Ghanaian is confronted with one more set of hurdles. A set of hurdles which isn’t notably simply discernible by the bare eye. This specific set of hurdles is far more covert in its strategies. It typically comes
within the guise of serving the ‘public good’. However actually, when these actors and actions are keenly investigated, you discover mendacity behind all of it, a concerted effort by Ghanaians—empowered by overseas forces—to strategically deliver fellow Ghanaians down. Both deliberately or unintentionally. An motion unmistakably harking back to the colonial period. Fuelled by overseas power
While you discover sure organisations, entities, CSOs, and so on., which might be largely financed by overseas entities, purporting to be conducting sure actions in direction of the general public good, you might have
each purpose to be reflective—and query the actual intentions behind their operations and the intentions of their financiers. It’s because many a time, these overseas financiers have been identified to finance sure operations, so-called public-geared initiatives, and sure
CSOs with their very own ruthless and clandestine aims and pursuits in thoughts.
Neocolonialism at its perfect!
For example, within the Nineties, a Nestlé salesman within the creating nation of Pakistan, whistle- blowed on Nestlé’s unethical and unlawful apply of bribing Pakistani medical doctors to push Nestlé’s child formulation to moms—by very incorrectly and heartlessly recommending these formulation as being extra helpful to their infants than breast milk. Since 2011, the
firm has been underneath investigation in China over the identical allegation. The corporate was additionally discovered to have bribed a sure Ernest W. Lefever, an American political theorist and overseas affairs professional and founding father of the Ethics and Public Coverage Middle, USA to affect a
then medical report his establishment was enterprise on medical care in creating international locations,resembling ours. Sure, this multinational large, actually, countlessly purchased and paid for scientists to do their
bidding.
That’s the reason as Africans, as Ghanaians as we’re, wanting on the historical past we now have had as a folks, we now have each purpose to be investigative and uncertain of these organisations and entities who are typically largely funded by overseas forces. We’ve got each purpose to be cautious,
for we as a folks know what our weaknesses are—our tendencies in direction of neocolonialism… Our tendencies in direction of falling as victims of neocolonialism. A lot as a way to simply transport this case of Nestlé in Pakistan and China to Ghana and see, very blatantly, an identical state of affairs ensuing with out hesitation.
How robustly have we as a folks constructed ourselves in opposition to getting used as puppets by the puppeteers of the developed world? How effectively are you able to belief your fellow Ghanaian to have constructed themselves from getting used as similar? I can solely guess that your religion in us as a folks
is low—and with purpose.
That’s the reason after we hear these cases of such Ghanaian organisations rallying behind overseas entities of their battle in opposition to sure native opponents, you as a Ghanaian, have each purpose to be reflective—to take a look at the problems extra keenly, learn between the strains to smell out any neo-colonialist plot which may be at play.
