Distinguished Dr. Elvis Banoemuleng Botah, a development consultant and researcher, has expressed frustration with Africa’s continuing lack of development despite its abundant natural resources.
He delivered a keynote address at the official launch of the Association of Professional Development Communicators (APDC)-Ghana, held at the GNAT Hall in Accra on Friday, July 5, 2024.
Dr. Botah said, “It is mind-boggling to come to the realization that when it comes to the issues of development within the global landscape, Africa is always lagging behind with enormous development deficits, ranging from housing, unemployment, deplorable economic and infrastructural circumstances, political instability, and above all critical issues with respect to the worsening security situations that have bedevilled the African continent in spite of our numerous resource endowments, our numerous human capital, endowment, population.”
The researcher pointed to statistics from UN agencies showing over 120 million people displaced in the volatile Sahel region alone due to conflicts and lack of development.
Over 1.7 million, according to Dr. Botah, are internally displaced within countries in the region, while 6.8 million have fled abroad as refugees.
“If these are the realities, then we do not need a prophetic seat to be able to point fingers towards the very causative elements of poverty, unemployment, and the lack of social well-being, among others,” Dr. Botah said.
He lamented that across Ghana as well, “Suddenly, every single person, every single household, every single youth in Ghana today is lamenting and struggling with daily survival.”
Dr. Botah observed that Africa’s continuing underdevelopment “has to do with nothing but the cheap, useless, and frivolous politicization of every single critical sector of our economy.”
He advised development communicators and members of APDC-Ghana to help change the narrative for a prosperous society.