Economist Godfred Bokpin Criticizes Ghana's Talk Show Culture

Ghanaian economist Professor Godfred Bokpin has urged a shift in national discourse, advocating for evidence-based decision-making over emotional and politically motivated arguments.

Speaking at the 2025 Annual Forum for Data Producers, Users, and Enhancers, Professor Bokpin stressed the critical need for Ghana to prioritize data – its use, accessibility, and relevance – as the nation’s most valuable resource.

He argued that accurate data holds more economic significance than Ghana’s natural resources like gold and oil, essential for effective national planning and development. “As an academic, I put more emphasis on data than gold because I can do without gold. Countries have managed their affairs without gold deposits. I will choose data over gold. I will choose data over oil. I will choose data over every input because, without data, nothing gets done. That is how important data is,” he stated.

Professor Bokpin lamented the current state of public debate, attributing national disagreements and political polarization to a lack of data-driven discussions. He highlighted the extensive data collected by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) – including figures on inflation, GDP, and unemployment, which recently stood around 13% – but noted its underutilization by policymakers and businesses.

“There is so much data that is harvested in this country by the Ghana Statistical Service. Sometimes we think that the Ghana Statistical Service exists only to give a GDP number. They do so much, so much. But the question is, in our daily life, how often do we rely on data? How data‑driven are we? This country is a talk show country. Forgive me,” he remarked.

He believes that a focus on objective data would reduce partisan bias. “The reason this country is a talk show country is that a lot of our discussions across the media platform is not driven by data. If we were driven by data as a country, there would be less disagreement in our discussions on media platforms, and there would be less emotion and probably less fighting. You understand that? Because the data is what it is,” Professor Bokpin explained.

He pointed to the recent drop in inflation to 6.3% as an example, stating that such progress is evident in the data regardless of political affiliation. “If we are doing well, the data says so; it doesn’t matter which party you belong to. So inflation has come down to 6.3%. You don’t need a prophet to tell you this is it and the implication because this is what it is,” he said.

Professor Bokpin concluded by calling for a concerted effort to elevate data usage and accessibility, asserting that this is the key to achieving meaningful national development. “The reason that is happening is that they have not looked at the data. What is the data saying? I think that we are at a point where we can elevate data in terms of its usage and accessibility, and we need to put data at the forefront of national discussion. This way, Ghana will be able to make meaningful progress,” he mentioned.

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