Unpacking Africa as a dynamic continent: Insights from contemporary development issues in Ghana

Since the last formal vestiges of colonial rule disappeared in 1994, the democratically elected governments on the African continent have been experimenting with developmental strategies and policies. These experiments come at the backdrop that Africa’s output per head is notoriously among the lowest in the world and has, on the average, expanded slowly and haltingly since 1960, albeit, with some critical changes, and variations over place, space and time. The structural adjustment programme (SAP) in the 1980s, for example, marked a watershed: a fundamental shift from administrative to market means of resource allocation. This opinion piece, appearing in this Special Issue of the Oguaa Journal of Social Sciences on the theme “Developmental issues in contemporary Ghana”, provides an overview of Africa’s development trajectories as presented by the collection of articles, using Ghana as a test-tube.

Does labour matter in reforms? Indications from Ghana’s environmental sanitation policy

Recent policy debates point to public service privatisation as a solution to the problems of state indebtedness, non-performance, and inefciency of the public sector. This privatisation agenda has raised concerns about the implications for jobs and working conditions. In developing countries like Ghana, where markets are weak or exhibit signs of failure, state policy becomes a vital avenue for securing decent working conditions for workers. Using an appraisal of Ghana’s Environmental Sanitation Policy and through the lens of institutional theory, the paper argues that the extent to which employment rights are framed, even at the policy stage, signals how labour rights will be impacted within privatised employment spaces. The analysis shows that the environmental sanitation policy ignores the interests of labour. The paper, therefore, recommends the need for inputs of labour market institutions such as trade unions at the policy stage. This is because trade unions remain the most credible source of response to the unrestrained exploitative tendencies of capital at the expense of labour.

Factors influencing household energy choices in the Kumasi Metropolitan area of Ghana

Reforms in the energy sector are expected to bring about essential efciency gains, which could result in energy diversifcation and welfare improvements among households. However, there are other unintended social and environmental consequences associated with the process. One signifcant social concern is the likely impact on how low-income families access new energy. The study used a cross-sectional design to undertake a comparative analysis of domestic energy choices. Data was collected from 405 households’ decision makers. An interview schedule and a guide were used for the data collection. The results showed that modern fuels are by far the most predominant source of energy for high and medium class residential households in Kumasi. However, residents in low-class areas preferred to use biomass fuel as their primary energy choice. Contextual variations revealed that general factors such as afordability and accessibility of energy source were exogenous determinants of energy choice. The fndings of the study also lend support to the energy ladder hypothesis that household income is a signifcant determinant of household energy choice. Further, social and demographic factors are critical determinants of cooking fuel type in residential zones. The study recommends the promotion of modern fuels through developing dependable energy distribution systems, and public education campaigns by the Energy Commission of Ghana.

Public sector wage reforms in the light of equity principles

Since 1967 seven committees and commissions have been set up to review disparities, distortions and anomalies inherent in the pay policy and wages in the public sector in Ghana. The introduction of the Single Spine Pay Policy in the year 2010 was meant to address these anomalies but has been bedevilled with several unrests at the labour front. This has manifested itself in various ways such as strike actions, protests, petitions, legal actions, and appeals to the Labour Commission and other stakeholders. Several attempts at resolving these agitations since independence have not yielded the expected outcome which would have led to a more stable labour front. The literature on the various pay reforms in Ghana has not addressed the equity issues inherent in them. The aim of this article therefore, is to review the pay policies, in the light of equity principles and propose solutions to minimise the labour unrest associated with public sector wage reforms. The article uses Adams Equity theory of motivation to explain the frequency of labour unrest in Ghana and proposes the application of the tenets of equity theory as a solution. We use documentary analysis to examine the various reforms and propose a theoretical approach to resolve the canker within and among the labour groups. We conclude this article by arguing that the frequent labour unrest within the public service in Ghana is mainly as a result of perceived inequity in the implementations of the public sector wage reforms.

Gradation of stakeholder participation in water resources management in the Densu Basin in Ghana

The literature shows that degrading water resources is partly due to the lack of stakeholder participation in its management. It also underscores that intensive stakeholder participation is vital for democracy, good governance, and sustainable development in water resources management. However, the gradation of stakeholder participation in water resources management has not been widely studied. I applied the extended ladder of participation in water resource management in the Densu Basin in Ghana. I collected data through 123 interviews and 26 focus group discussions in addition to an examination of policy and legal documents on water resource management. My findings show that the activities that affect the lives of the communities influence the intensity of their participation in the Densu Basin. I therefore recommend that for local people to manage their water resources sustainably and intensively, government and non-governmental agencies must link management activities with local livelihoods and create awareness of the importance of the ecosystem to community sustenance. My findings again show that inducing communities through economic incentives is only appropriate for short term water resource management needs as such incentives cannot be sustained. However, an approach that stimulates communities to participate through their own initiatives after being helped to identify their needs is likely to lead to intensive and sustainable participation in water resource management.

Unpacking Africa as a dynamic continent: insights from contemporary development issues in Ghana

Since the last formal vestiges of colonial rule disappeared in 1994, the democratically elected governments on the African continent have been experimenting with developmental strategies and policies. These experiments come at the backdrop that Africa’s output per head is notoriously among the lowest in the world and has, on the average, expanded slowly and haltingly since 1960, albeit, with some critical changes, and variations over place, space and time. The structural adjustment programme (SAP) in the 1980s, for example, marked a watershed: a fundamental shift from administrative to market means of resource allocation. This opinion piece, appearing in this Special Issue of the Oguaa Journal of Social Sciences on the theme “Developmental issues in contemporary Ghana”, provides an overview of Africa’s development trajectories as presented by the collection of articles, using Ghana as a test-tube.

Early sexual relationships and age mixing among older adolescents living in an urban slum in Ghana

Understanding Adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health behaviour is paramount if the attainment of improved health outcomes and ultimately, the realisation of Sustainable Development Goals are to be achieved. However, the extant literature appears to be disproportionately focused on adolescents in the rural context. Using both qualitative and quantitative data collected from adolescents aged 15-19 years living in Kwesimintsim zongo – an urban slum, this paper attempts to examine early sexual relationships and age mixing among older adolescents. The results point to the presence of risky sexual behaviour among the respondents. Specifically it was found that about a fifth of the respondents were engaged in both early sexual relationships and age mixing. These findings provide useful insight on urban adolescents and their sexual reproductive health in Ghana and it is recommended that preventive measures such as educational campaigns be deployed to dissuade adolescents from engaging in these risky behaviours whose resultant social, psychological and economic costs affect the wider society.

‘One David, Two Goliaths’: Microcredit as a tool for sustainable ecological sanitation and smallholder agriculture in Ghana

This paper examines microcredit as a tool for ecological sanitation (EcoSan) and smallholder agriculture in Ghana. Employing a rapid review approach, and its associated review of existing literature, the paper argues that microcredit for sanitation has been proven to be an effective way (“David”) of dealing with sanitation and agriculture challenges (two “Goliaths”), when directed to the provision of ecological sanitation (compost toilets). Such approach has multiple benefits such as improved sanitation, clean environment, improved crop yield, food security, good health and poverty alleviation. Thus, ecological sanitation is both an economically and environmentally sustainable sanitation option since it has the added benefits of paying for itself through the fertilizer generated as its by-product, thereby improving food security and alleviating poverty as well as protecting the environment in the long run. The paper therefore implores microcredit institutions to engage in diversified lending approach, which seeks to target smallholder agricultural development through ecological sanitation provision. Though attitudes and perceptions have been identified as a major challenge for the acceptance of EcoSan toilets, it is argued that beliefs can be altered or replaced through better community engagement and open discussions about the benefits of EcoSan toilets as well as the relevance of using microcredit as a tool to motivate this change process.

Local integration of Liberian refugees in Ghana

In sub-Saharan Africa, protracted refugee situations have become common within the last three decades. Although voluntary repatriation is mostly recommended as the more lasting solution to refugee problems, some refugees think otherwise. This paper explores the views of Liberian refugees on local integration in Ghana. Using an in-depth interview guide, a total of 25 Liberian refugees were interviewed through the snowball sampling procedure at the Buduburam refugee camp. Guided by both the theory of national identity and an adapted framework on domains of local integration, the results show that the refugees are prepared for local integration. Most of them are already engaged in informal sector businesses as their sources of livelihood; almost all of them have established some social networks which facilitate interactions between them and the indigenes; and moreover they have been granted residence and work permits as well as registered for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as part of the integration package. It can be concluded that the Liberian refugees who opted for local integration are positively disposed for local integration in Ghana. There is the need for government to adopt the most appropriate local approach to facilitate the full intergration of the Liberian refugees into the country.

Hotel employees’ perceptions of training practices in a developing economy: Implications for improving service delivery.

This study examined employees’ perception of training practices in the hotel industry in a developing economy, and adopted a purely quantitative approach, using the cross-sectional field survey. Data were collected using self-administered survey questionnaires and was analysed using percentages. Using a sample of 195 full-time employees from 61 registered hotels in the Cape Coast Metropolis and the Elmina Townships in Ghana, the findings showed that hotel employees perceived all the elements of training practices as adequate except evaluation of training where training effectiveness and reaction to trainees were found to be inadequate. Indicatively, employees’ ability to transfer learning from training to the workplace significantly affects their service delivery. The authors recommend that managers invest in staff training but pay particular attention to hotel employees acquiring and transferring the requisite skills and knowledge required to improve service delivery