Paul Adom-Otchere, former Board Chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Limited and General Manager of Metro TV, believes that incompetence—not corruption—is the biggest obstacle to Africa’s development.
“We have been told all the time that the bigger problem is corruption. I beg to differ,” he said. “If you engage with the literature well, you will find out that incompetence is a bigger problem.”
He explained that incompetence is easier to identify and measure compared to corruption, which is often difficult to prove without political bias or legal findings. According to him, Africa’s persistent underdevelopment is driven more by poor management, weak institutional capacity, and ill-informed decision-making than by theft alone.
Reflecting on Ghana’s economic history, Adom-Otchere recalled how the country struggled with poverty and debt, noting key moments such as Ghana’s classification as a Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) in the early 2000s.
“Ghana was said to be a poor country in 1995. In 1998, Ghana was a poor country, and in 2001, Ghana was a HIPC country,” he recounted.
To make his point, the outspoken TV host pointed to a bank founded in Ghana back in 2006. Despite operating in what many call a “poor country,” the bank has since grown to be highly profitable.
“In Ghana, often labeled a poor country, this bank has been profitable,” he noted. “So what’s really the problem?”
Adom-Otchere also challenged the way corruption is defined and understood in public discourse. He argued that political narratives often shape what people believe, rather than clear evidence.
“People are told that the problem isn’t about competence, so no one even looks there,” he said. “They’re told the problem is corruption. But how do we really know someone stole money? We’re just told by a politician that they did.”
