Harbus

Issue date: 4/30/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Eric Otoo (OC) Ghana Trek participants and Dr. Kwesi Nduom, minister of Public Sector Reform (center).

I was filled with great anticipation as our flight touched down at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana on March 18, 2007. In addition to the celebration of Ghana's 50 years of independence that put me in a festive mood, 27 of my HBS schoolmates and several of their partners had accompanied me to Ghana on this trek. During the week that we planned to stay in Ghana, I hoped to show them around various cities including Accra, Cape Coast, Elmina and Kumasi. For some of the trekkers, this was their first trip outside the United States; for others it was their first visit to the African continent.

After our long flight, we were transferred to the plush La Palm Hotel where we stayed during our time in Accra. As our bus meandered through the La and Osu streets, I realized how much the city had been beautified in celebration of the independence jubilee. After driving by Danquah Circle, the Independence Square, the National Theatre and other monuments, we visited the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, where a tour guide recounted the history and achievements of Dr. Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana who led the struggle for independence. As the sun went down we made our way to my parent's house for dinner. Unfortunately, the electricity in our neighborhood went out by the time we arrived - a stark reminder of recent energy challenges facing the nation. However, we still enjoyed a wonderful dinner as many of my colleagues got their first taste of home-cooked Ghanaian cuisine.

Our second day in Accra was filled with meetings to give the group an understanding of the economic, business and political climate of the country. At the Ministry of Economic Reform, we met with Dr. Kwesi Nduom, a former Deloitte Consulting partner who headed several reform initiatives as the head of the ministry, and Rebecca Amoo-Aboagye, a senior official of the ministry. During the Q&A session, Dr. Nduom explained the economic milestones that the country had achieved over the last few years including a stabilized currency, declining inflation, and a de-regulated energy market. These indicators provided a very optimistic view of the economic future of Ghana.

Next, we visited the Du Bois residence, where the famous civil rights activist W.E.B. Dubois lived, and then made our way to Ashesi University, a premier private university in Ghana, to meet with Mr. Patrick Awuah, the founder of the institution. As Mr. Awuah explained his "calling" to leave his lucrative career at Microsoft in the U.S. to pursue his inspiring mission of reforming tertiary education in Ghana. Ashesi's goal is to develop the next generation of future Ghanaian leaders who can think outside of the box and help take the country to the next level.

Continued...

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