The Leaders of Africa Project represented by Peter Penar recently spoke to Franklin Cudjoe. Franklin shares his views on leadership and development in Africa. 

Franklin Cudjoe is the founder, president, and chief executive officer of IMANI-Africa Center for Policy and Education. The Leaders of Africa Project represented by Peter Penar recently spoke to Cudjoe.

Cudjoe recognized that there was a need for a think tank to conduct rigorous policy analysis in Ghana. Building on training and experiences regarding NGO management and advocacy, Cudjoe founded IMANI-Africa. In a short timeframe, IMANI-Africa became widely recognized as one of Africa’s most reputable think tanks. Cudjoe shares how the combination of rigorous research, strategy, and execution propelled IMANI-Africa forward.

When thinking about development concerns in Ghana and Africa more broadly, Cudjoe suggests that most so-called challenges are “self-inflicted.” Cudjoe shares his thoughts on some examples to illustrate this point, including the management of Ghana’s ports and government efforts to create additional administrative units in Ghana. Ultimately, Cudjoe explains that there is a need for persistent monitoring of public policy to ensure that private economic activities can flourish and benefit Ghanaians.

Watch the interview below

This content is sourced from The Leaders of Africa Project, an independent and non-partisan collaborative that conducts research on the opinions and experiences of thought leaders Visit site.