COMMENTARY ON REPOSITIONING GHANA'S HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AS THE NATION ENTERS EMERGING OIL ECONOMY

The quest for success in life through economic development is seen everywhere around as people go about their businesses, especially in urban areas where there are diversity of opportunities. However, thousands have been limited or cut off from these opportunities because of inadequate education or lack of it and the scarce information on possible opportunities. The dilemma of ever coming out of chronic poverty still stares majority of the citizenry in the face, even after the discovery of oil. Ghana since the beginning of this year has been privileged to start exporting oil. Added to this good news is the interest expressed by the world business community to invest in the oil industry that will transform the economy. However, it is common knowledge to economists that mere economic growth figures do not necessarily transform into real development.

Human development indices, such as per capita income, improved health status, education, habitat and human rights give real meaning to development. The transformation of the economy in the wake of the oil find will be possible by paying attention to the living conditions of the people through investment in human resource activities targeting the underprivileged and marginalised. A point of reference is the state's responsibility of ensuring that all children of school going age are given quality education.

The oil revenue cannot be simply spent on things like salaries and road infrastructure. The oil revenue must certainly address the serious problems of universal primary education, empowering small-scale industries, diversify agriculture and promote the culture of savings, to positively influence the lives of ordinary citizens. Development is about improving the lot of man. Though nature has made enough provision for everyone to experience improved living standard, mismanagement, impropriety, greed and lack of foresight have plunged some natural resource well-endowed countries into civil wars where the people who are at the centre of development, become the victims of political and economic manipulations. The modernisation of agriculture was the single most important factor that has propelled great nations of the world to prosperity prior to the era of industrialisation.

Nowhere in the world is any government able to provide employment for every citizen, and neither would this ever happen anywhere on the globe. It is against such reality that young graduates should be creative enough to fit themselves into the economy where even entrepreneurs with less formal education with much vigour and vision are registering wonderful mark in the global economy. Government should therefore begin thinking of incentives to equip young graduates especially in the form of industrial loans, co-operative enterprises, and housing.

Many developed nations have faced similar challenges but became winners for their courage to address them. Ghana, a beacon of democracy in Africa, can still make the difference and register another success story where the oil find will not be a curse but a blessing. The pillar to achieve this is through well educated citizens with the requisite technical expertise to make Ghana an industrial hub in the commity of nations.

BY: JOHN KUMADO, A JOURNALIST.