Copyright © UNU-WIDER 2009
*
UNU-WIDER, Helsinki, email: fosu@wider.unu.edu
This study has been prepared within the UNU-WIDER project on Country Role Models for Development
Success, directed by Augustin Kwasi Fosu.
UNU-WIDER gratefully acknowledges the financial contributions to the project by the Finnish Ministry
for Foreign Affairs, and the financial contributions to the research programme by the governments of
Denmark (Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Finland (Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs), Sweden
(Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency—Sida) and the United Kingdom (Department
for International Development).
ISSN 1810-2611 ISBN 978-92-9230-215-3
Research Paper No. 2009/42
Country Role Models
for Development Success
The Ghana Case
Augustin Kwasi Fosu*
June 2009
Abstract
The current paper, first, documents Ghana’s ‘success’ story. Second, it identifies the
strategy employed. Third, it provides a brief history of why and how the strategy was
adopted. Fourth, it provides some rationale for the success of the strategy, including the
roles of domestic and international actors. Fifth, it conjectures the viability of the
strategy into the future. Finally, the paper draws lessons for possible application to other
less successful countries.
Keywords: role models, Ghana, success
JEL classification: O55