He explained that an industrialised country created employment opportunities for its citizenry because the industrial sector was an important employer for both skilled and unskilled labour.

“Industrialisation helps to facilitate technological change and advancement which are crucial for development and effective literacy skills and culture for national development,” he noted.

Prof. Owusu made the observation at the Seventh Kobina Sekyi Memorial Lecture on the topic: ‘Culture, nationalism and nation-building: The role of the Ghanaian intelligentsia.’

The lecture was organised by the Department of Political Science, University of Ghana, in collaboration with the Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society, University of Western Cape in South Africa.
Prof Owusu indicated that “it is imperative for Africa in general and Ghana in particular to create its own knowledge through reading and not always depend on foreigners for assistance.
“Through industrialisation, a country is able to conserve foreign exchange by reducing imports, when industries are established to produce goods that are previously imported, the foreign exchange can be used to import essential capital goods and stimulate capital formation.

“Nationalism draws its strength from numerous roots such as the love of one’s people, customs, traditions, culture, ethnic and tribal gods and homeland, some political leaders on the African continent mismanaged resources, resulting in high level of poverty,” Prof Owusu bemoaned.

He urged Political Science students to be objective and not to join political parties on campuses to enable them to criticise constructively without fear or favour and advised them to strive for excellence and research to broaden their knowledge for intellectual discourse.

Former President Agyekum Kufuor stressed the need for effective leaders to chart the path of development through investment in education and admonished students
to study harder and emulate the life of the late Kobina Sekyi, a lawyer, a politician and a writer who contributed to social development of the country. –GNA