Yaw Nsarkoh, a prominent strategic adviser and director, has declared education as the cornerstone for Ghana’s societal transformation.

Speaking during the 17th-anniversary Thinkathon edition of Springboard, Your Virtual University, hosted by Rev. Albert Ocran, Nsarkoh emphasized that knowledge is the most potent force for progress and liberation.

“Educate, educate, educate,” he urged. “Knowledge is the primary productive force. Embrace it. If we get it, we will liberate our society.”

Nsarkoh challenged the conventional metrics of economic success, arguing that indicators like inflation rates are meaningless unless they lead to tangible improvements in citizens’ lives.

He referenced Kwame Nkrumah’s vision, asking whether Ghana has truly advanced in areas such as education, nutrition, and intellectual freedom.He painted a stark picture of current conditions, citing environmental neglect and a lack of cultural infrastructure as barriers to imagining a better future.

“Our society is drowning in uncollected garbage. Is this a society in which you can imagine the future?” he asked.

Nsarkoh also critiqued Ghana’s democratic system, describing it as a “Santa Claus democracy”—a transactional model where votes are bought and the poor remain trapped in generational poverty.

He questioned whether someone born in a mud house today could realistically rise to prominence within one lifetime, like Rev. Ocran.Quoting Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, Nsarkoh warned that Africa’s democracy risks becoming “a public auction for the highest bidder.”

He called for a redefinition of development, one that prioritizes opportunity creation, intellectual growth, and environmental sustainability over mere statistics.