Prof. comes out with blueprint for development

Prof. Kwame Addo, an academic of many parts, will next week launch a book in which he seeks to present a clear dynamic roadmap for positive national development.

“Visions of Ghana” treats Ghana in totality in terms of history, geography, politics, tourism, industry, economics and many others and supports these with pictures and maps.

Prof. Addo is a professor of Architecture, Environmental Design, Graphic Design and Industrial Design. He is also involved in book publications, music production, auto styling and art exhibitions around the world.

In understanding the physical and economic geography of Ghana, the book locates and develops production and service zones in the mining, agriculture, transport, energy, ICT, construction and tourism.

“Sensitizing and involving people in nation building brings hope and provides a legacy of positive advancement and felt by all, eventually putting value to a vision,” Prof Addo said in a write-up.

Reviewing the book, Mr. K.B. Asante, a retired diplomat, said the book should inspire patriotic Ghanaians to do their duty to the state and added, “we should interrogate the past and learn former achievements and failures.”

He said the book suggests the three principal determinants (DNA) of development are Vision, Resources and Leadership and this are put in the chapter on Decoding the DNA of Development.

The book tackles all problems of development as a composite whole. Health, education, population growth, the environment and other issues are resented not as problems but as part of an approach to the resolution of the multi-faced problems of development.

Mr. Asante said, “Visions of Ghana” should be read at high schools, higher education institutions and by planners in the various departments of state.

“Visions of Ghana should help raise us from the confines of narrow, self-destructing corruption to the great future of service to nation and humanity,” he said.

“Prof. Addo tells us that we can do it from conception, planning, funding, implementation, maintenance and the eradication of unnecessary poverty. Those who are despondent should make it a bedside reading book,” he said.

Prof. Addo offers graduate and continuing education courses at the Javeriana University, National University and the Universidad Del Valle, Cali, Colombia.

As a consultant and advisor to the governments of Ghana, Venezuela, Colombia and the World Bank, Prof. Addo works on programmes and projects in the built environment, transport, petroleum, tourism, education, housing and marketing sectors.