“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most
vulnerable members” – Mahatma Gandhi, Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist
and political ethicist.
Africa is well endowed when it comes to human and
natural resources but then again Africa is behind in major development metrics.
The key to resolving this mystery is not far-fetched; it lies in the failure of
managers of affairs on the continent to adequately translate the abundant
resources into visible prosperity.
For the
avoidance of doubt, conservative estimates by United Nations (UN) agencies
suggest that the continent is home to more than 60 percent of the world’s
arable landmass; the second largest and longest rivers (the Nile and the
Congo); and its second-largest tropical forest.
As of 2016, the African Development Bank (AfDB) estimated that the total value
added by the continent's fisheries and aquaculture sector alone is estimated at
US$ 24 billion. In addition, it holds about 30 percent of all global mineral
reserves and perhaps, most importantly, the youngest population in the world,
with approximately 70 percent of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30.
Yet, the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) of its 1.3 billion people (2020 estimates) is US$2.7
trillion, which is US$246 billion less than France's GDP, the 7th largest
economy in the world. For additional context, the European Union’s 447.7
million inhabitants command a GDP of about US$17.9 trillion (2020 estimates).
Human Development – The
Ghanaian case
Again, the reason for these sober figures is not rocket science, it is found in
the neglect of value addition to resources and as the world approaches a new
wave of industrialisation, human resources is set to become the most important
asset of any society. With this in mind, how a nation develops its human
capital has become the determining factor for its long-term viability.
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic developed in 1990 and compiled
by the United Nations to measure various countries’ levels of social and
economic development. It was established to place emphasis on the opportunities
individuals require to lead dignified lives.
As a summary measure for assessing long-term progress, it takes into
consideration three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy
life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living. Long and healthy
life is measured by life expectancy.
Between 1990 and 2019, the UN notes, Ghana’s HDI value increased from 0.465 to
0.611, an increase of 31.4 percent, and puts Ghana in the medium human
development category. As impressive as this sounds, however, for 2019, Ghana
ranks 138 out of 189 countries and territories: a telling figure.
Social Protection
HDI is a key framework for social protection, which the UN describes succinctly
as: “Social protection systems help individuals and families, especially the
poor and vulnerable, cope with crises and shocks, find jobs, improve
productivity, invest in the health and education of their children, and protect
the ageing population. Social protection programs are at the heart of boosting
human capital for the world’s most vulnerable.”
Since independence, the nation has initiated a number of stop-start social
protection measures, with much of the social protection framework operated by
traditional, family, faith and welfare-based institutions.
A National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS) was developed in 2007 and revised
in 2012. A Social Protection Rationalisation Study conducted in 2013
established the need for a holistic National Social Protection Policy.
Subsequently, the Ghana National Social Protection Policy (GNSPP) was
introduced in 2015 and identified five flagship programmes – the Capitation
Grant, Labour Intensive Public Works (LIPW), National Health Insurance Scheme
(NHIS), Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) and the Livelihood Empowerment
Against Poverty (LEAP).
These programmes have shown some positive impact in three key areas for
households – income, education and health, consistent with the focus of the HDI
framework.
Assessment of the true impact of these programmes, however, have been initiated
by the supply-side – the government, with minimal input from the demand-side –
direct beneficiaries, their agents and relevant civil society organisation.
This gap informed the commissioning of a Mirror Report by the Civil Society
Partnership on Social Accountability for Social Protection, aggregating citizen
assessments of these key interventions.
According to the Partnership, “The purpose of the Mirror Report is to provide a
complimentary report to the official government report on social protection
delivery with the view to promote mutual accountability on the implementation
of social protection interventions… to reflect citizens’ experiences of
services and identify critical issues for achieving social protection as a
right.”
The One Percent
The findings of the study, which covered one district in each of the 10
‘traditional’ regions in the country, pointed to some interesting, if not
alarming points. It showed that since 2015, less than one percent of the
nation’s GDP has cumulatively been spent on the five principal social
protection interventions, putting Ghana behind its Lower-Middle Income peers in
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) who spend approximately 2.2 percent of GDP, in this
regard.
Unsurprisingly, the nation’s social protection expenditure pales in comparison
to the Middle-Income range, which the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
indicates is between 6.7 percent and 8.7 percent. This simply does not bode
well for the long-term fortunes and sustainability of the country.
Other key findings include budget planning and execution being a challenge, as
seen in significant disparities between approved programme budgets and actual
outturns, improper targeting and selection of beneficiaries, inconsistent data
on key metrics as well as perceived political interference in the smooth
running and potential scaling up of the programmes.
Reversing the narrative
Whilst the above makes for gloomy reading, there is ample time to change the
trajectory of social protection programmes in the country, prioritise human
capital development and enhance the lot of the citizenry.
The Mirror Report offered recommendations under three broad areas – financing
of social protection interventions, delivery and transparency of social
protection programmes and coverage of flagship social protection interventions.
Specific recommendations include the gradual increase of social protection spending
to 4.5 percent of GDP by 2025, in line with global developments; develop a
stronger framework for timely and adequate social protection budget allocation
and disbursements; and the establishment of a dedicated fund for social
protection interventions.
Others include the prioritisation of logistics; an increase in payouts,
especially for LEAP, in light of prevailing inflationary pressures; the
depoliticisation of the social protection value chain and the expediting of the
Social Protection Bill.
Also, government has been urged to expand the scope of the current flagship
programmes to capture all eligible persons. LEAP, for example, currently covers
1.65 million out of the 2.4 million extremely poor Ghanaians.
Beyond the race to attaining the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and
the wider 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the survival and advancement
of the country, now more than ever, relies on how well we harness our most
important resources – human beings, especially
the most vulnerable.
Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana