Prof. Adu-Gyamfi Slams Leadership for Wasting Human Capital in Ghana

Ghana’s Human Resource Wastage: Prof. Yaw Adu-Gyamfi Calls for Leadership Reform and End to Politicisation

Professor of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Prof. Yaw Adu-Gyamfi, has raised critical concerns about Ghana’s chronic underutilisation of experienced professionals, attributing the problem to poor leadership and excessive politicisation of the public sector. Speaking on The Sages on JoyNews, Prof. Adu-Gyamfi warned that the nation’s failure to properly tap into the expertise of its own people is stalling national progress.

Despite decades of investing in education and professional training, Ghana continues to rely heavily on foreign contractors and expatriates for critical development projects. According to Prof. Adu-Gyamfi, this overdependence is both costly and wasteful, especially when competent Ghanaian professionals are often sidelined or forced into early retirement.

“At Independence, we had fewer than a thousand doctors. But beyond that, how many engineers, architects, or seasoned teachers did we have? Today, we’ve trained thousands, yet we continue to waste human resources due to outdated policies and lack of foresight,” he stated.

Retirement Policy Undermines Expertise
Prof. Adu-Gyamfi was particularly critical of Ghana’s rigid retirement policies, which mandate that professionals retire by age 60, regardless of their capabilities or potential to still contribute. He argued that professions such as civil engineering, architecture, and medicine often benefit more from experience than youthful energy.

“Take a civil engineer or an architect—these are fields where the more you practice, the better you become. Yet at 60, we ask them to leave. Retirement isn’t the problem; it’s how we manage it. There should be a system that allows them to continue in advisory or mentoring roles,” he emphasized.

Dependence on Foreign Contractors for Infrastructure Projects
One of Prof. Adu-Gyamfi’s strongest criticisms was directed at the government’s continued reliance on foreign companies for major infrastructure projects, despite the presence of world-class institutions like KNUST and University of Ghana that produce highly skilled graduates.

“Our coastline is rapidly eroding, and we’re still hiring foreign firms for coastal defense projects. Yet we have engineers who studied at the same level—or even better—than some of these foreign experts,” he lamented.

He cited an example from Europe: “Amsterdam was reclaimed from the sea over 300 years ago, without modern technology. We have the granite, the brains, and the resources, but we lack the leadership to empower our own.”

Politicisation Weakening Public Institutions
Another major concern Prof. Adu-Gyamfi raised was the politicisation of public service, which he believes undermines the morale and performance of professionals in key sectors. He criticized the trend where individuals are removed from positions simply because of perceived political affiliations.

“If you don’t support the ruling party, you’re out—no matter how competent you are. That’s not how nations develop. We must rise above partisanship and reward merit, integrity, and results,” he said.

Leadership and Institutional Reform Needed
Prof. Adu-Gyamfi stressed that the solution lies in comprehensive leadership and institutional reform. Ghana must rethink its management of human capital by creating structures that value institutional knowledge and promote long-term development over short-term political gains.

“When seasoned professionals retire, we discard not just the person but years—decades—of experience and wisdom. That’s a tragedy. We need to re-engineer the system to retain and benefit from that knowledge,” he urged.

A Call to Action
Prof. Adu-Gyamfi concluded by calling on policymakers, civil society, and the general public to demand better governance, improved leadership, and an end to politicised decision-making.

“The real wealth of Ghana isn’t just in gold or cocoa; it’s in our people. Until we value and properly utilise our human resources, we’ll keep falling short of our potential.”

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