Ghana is in the lead again

On Tuesday, I will be visiting Ghana – a country that is again acting as a role model for the region. Ghana was the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence – in 1957 – sending a wave of hope and optimism throughout the continent. Independence was achieved peacefully. For many, President Kwame Nkrumah’s emphasis on the justice sector, education and African unity hailed the start of a new era for Africa.

A new era did ensue, but not in the way people had hoped. The Cold War was anything by cold in Africa. As a result of the superpowers’ struggle to gain influence, the following years were marked by countless wars, conflicts and humanitarian disasters. Incompetent, kleptocratic leaders came and went. These were lost years for Africa.

But once again, Africa is seeing progress and hope. Unconceivable suffering is still being inflicted on the population in areas such as eastern DR Congo and Darfur, but there are fewer conflicts. More democratic elections are being held, the continent has enjoyed significant economic growth, but democratic development is still inadequate. As we have seen in Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Kenya, the problem is not primarily the holding of elections; it is ensuring a change in government once the electorate has spoken. The tendency to cling to power is a serious problem.

Here too though there are bright spots, and again Ghana is in the lead. Ghana recently held its fifth democratic election since 1992. During this period, power has passed between the two major parties, National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP), three times.

Now the NDC, with John Atta Mills as president, is back in power after eight years in opposition, after having won the second round of the presidential election by a half percentage point. Situations like this have all too often thrown African countries into chaos. However, the outgoing president, John Kufuor, was quick to congratulate Mr Atta Mills on winning, and the opposition candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, conceded defeat.

Twenty elections are to be held on the African continent during the course of 2009. After a number of disappointments in recent years, this success story was badly needed. And a debate is emerging in Nigeria on why democracy works so much better in Ghana.

So what is the secret behind Ghana’s success? It is tempting to highlight the fact that when this multi-ethnic country introduced the multi-party system in 1992, a prohibition against parties based on ethnic groups or religion was set out in the new constitution. This awareness of the risk of the country becoming divided led to the development of two similar sized and well-functioning political parties. They ensure a political debate across religious, ethnic and regional boundaries. In many other countries in Africa, political debate is almost non-existent.

Ghana’s electoral commission is independent. Its decisions were criticised from several quarters during the presidential election, but were respected by both parties. This contrasts with the developments we saw in Kenya in December 2007, for example. The electoral commission also carried out an extensive revision and updating of the voters’ register, prior to the election.

An active civil society and a relatively free and independent press have been decisive factors as well. As has the support of the international community. Never before have there been so many election observers in a Ghanaian election as now. Nevertheless, my conclusion is that Ghana’s success is primarily due to a mature and robust system that promotes free and independent elections. This is particularly impressive given that Ghana ranks 135th on the UN Human Development Index for 2007/2008.

Furthermore, we should not underestimate the significance of Ghanaians’ awareness of their country’s reputation as a democratic, peaceful country in a troubled region.

Meanwhile, it is not just politically that Ghana stands out as an African success story. Economic growth was nearly 7% in 2008. This was mainly due to revenues from mining (gold, manganese and bauxite), agriculture (cocoa), and the service sector.

Population growth and the proportion of poor people are falling. More than 90% of all children of school age attend school. Life expectancy has risen and child mortality has been reduced. The human rights situation in Ghana is good by African standards.

Several significant oil discoveries have been made in Ghanaian waters since 2007. These may be the largest individual discoveries in West Africa. A production rate of around 100 000 barrels per day is forecast for 2010, rising to 250 000 barrels per day in 2012. Ghana’s oil revenues could rapidly exceed the total international development assistance to the country, which was USD 1.2 billion in 2007.

There are many African countries with major oil resources, but few have achieved sound management of these assets. The “resource curse” is unfortunately a reality rather than just an expression in many countries.

Just after Ghana made its first oil discovery, I was contacted by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Mr Annan was very concerned that his homeland should not become yet another victim of the petroleum curse. He was familiar with our Oil for Development initiative, and asked me to provide this form of assistance to Ghana. We soon established a programme in the country, and it is now well under way.

Norwegian experts have helped to prepare a white paper on oil policy for the Ghanaian parliament, as well as a proposal for amendments to the petroleum legislation. Field development plans including impact assessments are also being drawn up with the help of Norway.

When I meet newly elected President Mills in Accra on 17 February, I will bring with me the clear message that Norway is ready to support Ghana’s positive political and economic development. The continuation of our cooperation on petroleum management will be a key element in our talks.

Given the increasingly close relations between our countries and the growing interest in Ghana from the Norwegian business sector, we will also strengthen our diplomatic presence in Accra. This will also form the basis for cooperation with other countries in the region that are interested in Norwegian assistance with petroleum management. We hope that other countries will follow Ghana’s example, and choose the path of sustainable political, economic and social development.