At the polo ground in the capital city of Accra on 6 March 1957, the president of Ghana,

Kwame Nkrumah, declared Ghana as a independent country. Ghana became the first free
black African nation to got independence. The people was joyfully singing the song ‘Children
of Ghana arise and uphold your cause,’ The president told the people of Ghana that within
next 10 years their country would become a paradise.

There was an arch printed with the words ‘AD 1957 Freedom and Justice’, According to the
Kwame Nkrumah real and true Freedom and justice would only exist when his people had
enough food to eat, were healthy and every one have house and literacy. Ghana was a very
poor country and one fourth of children died before the age of 5 years.

Arthur Lewis ,who later won Noble Prize for Economics, believed that there are two types of
economy approach ‘modern’ and the ‘traditional’. And there is clear distinction between this
two classes. When the modern sector grows rapidly the old one gets narrow. The modern
approach consists of capitalist farms and industries and the traditional part consists of family
farms. Lewis called it a ‘dual’ economy. Lewis helped start the field of ‘development
economics’. Another founder of development economics was the Paul Rosenstein-Rodan ,he
urged government to make huge investments in different areas of economy. He called it as
Big Push.

According to the President Kwame Nkrumah Industries are very much essential to develop
the nation. Ghana Govt. did it ,they invested in Power stations, schools, hospitals, dams etc
The government was very hopeful ,but less experienced Ghana government failed to convert
it into profitable economy. Later many economist opposed the this idea and they requested
the government not to interfere in business .Some countries like South Korea did it very well
due to government extra efforts by providing cheap loans .

The idea of Big Push was failed and it led to privatisation, they started selling the government
companies to private business class people, and this idea also failed.

Comment: Due to lack of proper planning , without market analysis and without studying the
ground level reality, Ghana Government’s Big Push idea didn’t worked.