Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has called for a fundamental reset in Ghana’s economic governance, warning that  political leaders must rise above partisanship and prioritise private sector collaboration or risk undermining national progress.

Speaking at the inaugural Legacy Dialogue Series in Accra on Tuesday, April 14, organised by the Design and Technology Institute, he stressed that the state alone cannot drive prosperity, urging a shift toward a more inclusive, partnership-driven growth model.

“The state by itself cannot enrich us,” he stated, emphasising that economic transformation must be built on shared responsibility between government and citizens.

Mr Kufuor argued that sustainable growth depends on a deliberate and coordinated partnership between the public and private sectors, describing it as the foundation for building an inclusive economy.

He called for “a sort of symbiosis between the state and the citizenry to try to grow the socio-economy for the people inclusively,” adding that public-private partnership “should be the underpinning for economic development.”

He further challenged Ghana’s political class to treat economic cooperation as a national priority rather than a partisan issue, insisting that consensus-building is critical to unlocking long-term growth.

“Our politicians should see this cooperation as something beyond partisan politics.”

In a sharply worded remark, the former president warned that any resistance to Ghana’s economic advancement should not be tolerated.

“Who wouldn’t want Ghana to be far richer than it is now? Anybody who wouldn’t want that should be treated as an enemy of the state.”

His comments come amid renewed debate over how to accelerate growth, attract investment, and strengthen the role of the private sector in Ghana’s economic transformation.