Preamble, April 2015

Welcome to the Okumah Blog.
On this blog I offer personal reflections on issues of governance and development in Africa. I focus on Africa because it is the continent I know most intimately and about which I am most passionate. I have lived and worked in African countries from East to West and North to South. Over the course of a 40-year career, most of it spent in international organizations, I have had the good fortune to observe Africa from the ground up. I have also been privileged to acquaint myself with other parts of the world, so I can view African problems from a broader perspective.
I am an African born in Ghana. The political history and geography of this continent make me a Ghanaian. Thus, I confess to a deep-seated bias towards the fortunes and destiny of this country. The Okumah Blog will, therefore, devote many of its reflections to Ghana. After all, charity, they say, begins at home.
Through these pages, I wish to provoke debate and discussion on issues that advance or hinder our progress as a people. I hope to engage development professionals, academics and policy makers to nourish the debate and, ultimately, to influence the policies that will shape our destiny.
I invite you to join this debate by sharing your ideas and suggestions. Together, our contributions and collective wisdom will build Africa and change the world.