Category: Opinion Piece

Rethinking BECE in the Era of Free SHS: From Gatekeeping to Placement Reform

Mr Mohammed

By Kofi Asare,Executive Director,Africa Education Watch,Ghana Background Before the introduction of Free SHS, the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) primarily functioned as a gatekeeping mechanism that determined whether a child could progress to secondary education. Admission into second cycle institutions depended heavily on aggregate performance, and for many candidates, BECE effectively separated progression from exclusion. In that context, its broad, high stakes structure was aligned with a system in which access to secondary education was limited and competitive. Emergence  of the Free SHS Policy The Free SHS policy fundamentally changed…

When Victory Becomes Illusion: How Politicians Misjudge Their Success(By-Prof Mamudu Abunga Akudugu)

Mr Mohammed

In the aftermath of Ghana’s 2016 general elections, I recall a conversation with a former schoolmate who was convinced that the New Patriotic Party’s overwhelming victory signaled the political death of the National Democratic Congress. According to him, the NDC would not return to power for at least a generation. I disagreed then, and time has since proven why. What many politicians and their supporters often misunderstand is that electoral victory, no matter how historic, is not a definitive measure of governing success. Rather, it is often a reflection of…

Sustainable Building Materials: Why Middle Eastern Developers Are Moving Beyond Concrete

Mr Mohammed

For decades, concrete has been the default choice for construction across the Middle East. It’s durable, it works in extreme heat, and robust supply chains are established. But that era is winding down. Right now, in 2026, developers are shifting away from conventional materials faster than anyone predicted, and the transition is accelerating.  The numbers are striking. The MEA was the only region in the world to record an increase in demand for green and sustainable buildings in 2025, and that momentum has carried into 2026. While global green construction is slowing,…

Heavy Portfolios in Africa’s Real Estate Market and Illiquidity…Ghana in Focus(By: Daniel Kontie)

Mr Mohammed

As a real estate developer and consultant with extensive experience across major African markets, particularly Ghana, I have consistently highlighted the sector’s strong profitability. However, there is a critical dimension of real estate investment in Ghana that industry players rarely disclose. Until now, I have not addressed it directly. But today, I take a deliberate step to bring this issue to the attention of diaspora investors in particular and all new market entrants, being fully aware that such transparency may be met with resistance from fellow industry participants. Nonetheless, I…

Explainer-How did Ivory Coast and Ghana’s cocoa sales crisis come about?

Mr Mohammed

By Reuters Commodities First Published 02/26/2026, 11:00 AM,Updated 02/26/2026, 11:48 AM By May Angel The producers of half the world’s cocoa – Ivory Coast and Ghana – have struggled to sell beans and pay farmers this year due to ample global harvests, lower cocoa prices and falling demand from chocolate makers for the ingredient. Why did the two countries fare worse than rival producers and what are they doing to address the problem? HOW DID WE GET HERE? Cocoa is not freely traded in Ivory Coast and Ghana. Rather, the…

Sit Up or Face National Disruption: The Urgent Call for a Skilled Electrical Workforce

Mr Mohammed

About Author: Awal Sakib Mohammed, President, Ghana Electrical Contractors Association (GECA),Chairman for the Skills Body for “Electrical, Electronics and Automation” under the CTVET (Contact details: +233243864726 Email: awalcahsant@gmail.com) Introduction The Urgent Call for a Skilled Electrical Workforce Electricity is the heartbeat of modern life. Every home, hospital, school, and industry depends on it. Yet behind the switches and sockets lies a truth we can no longer ignore: our electrical networks are dilapidated, our systems outdated, and our workforce dangerously underprepared. Road Contractors’ Vital Role: Their Dilemma  Electrical contractors are the…

Dagbon maiden Home Coming event to shape the Kingdom’s Dev’t discourse

Mr Mohammed

By: Mohammed A. Abu The first edition of the Dagbon Home Coming 2025, is scheduled to take place from the 19th-27th December.in Yendi,the seat of Kingship of the Dagbon Kingdom, Northern Region of the West African nation of Ghana. The weeklong event is being organized by the Dagbon Forum(DF),a Civil Society Organisation and Advocacy group, in collaboration with the Centre for National Culture and the Ghana Tourism Authority and various media partners. Being held under the theme, “One Dagbon, One Vision: Advancing Dagbon’s Development Together”, and sub-theme,” Reignite,Re-Enforce,Rebuild,” the event…

The Theory:The Private War became the World War-(By Alice Frimpong Sarkodie)

Mr Mohammed

A Philosophical and Psychological Argument for Global Congruence Every war begins as a whisper in a home. Humanity’s collapse in dignity, integrity, and peace did not start on battlefields. It started in bedrooms, dining rooms, and living rooms — in the silent negotiations of love, in the unspoken hierarchies of marriage, and in the mis-education of children who learned the wrong lessons about power, fear, love, and self-worth. 1. Philosophically: The First Government is the Family Every nation is simply a scaled-up version of the family. Every president imitates a…

Ghana’s Ghollywood: A Pillar of African Unity and Nollywood’s Strategic Partner-(By:Dr Jamezany James)

Mr Mohammed

About Author:Cultural Diplomat,ECOWAS West African Youth Ambassador,Head,Azania Filmmakers Association (pan-african) Introduction As a front‑line advocate for African film integration and a FESTAC Africa Festival Ambassador with  2025 edition  held in Ghana in september, I’ve witnessed firsthand severally the power of cinema and culture to unite the continent. Amb.Dr.Jamezany James Ghana’s film industry—affectionately known as *Ghollywood*—has become a beacon of Pan‑Africanism, echoing the vision of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the father of Pan‑Africanism. By strategically leveraging Nigeria’s Nollywood, Ghana has turned its creative spark into a catalyst for regional cooperation, cultural pride,…

Why Ghanaian Parents Must Prepare Their Children for the Jobs of 2030-By(Yakubu Lantam Abdul-Jabar),

Mr Mohammed

In a classroom in Accra, Kumasi,Tamale, or a village near Kpandai and Salaga, a child is memorising notes for a job that does not yet exist in the Ghanaian economy. By 2030, the country will need hundreds of thousands of new roles to power a digital economy, fight climate collapse, and serve a population projected to hit 40 million. The World Economic Forum, McKinsey, and Deloitte warn that half of today’s jobs will be transformed or gone. If parents keep pushing only WASSCE certificates and government desk jobs, their children…