FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Plain answers to the questions readers, journalists and researchers most often ask. Every answer is self-contained and quotable.
Who is Michael Yaw Offei?
- Michael Yaw Offei is a retired Ghanaian international diplomat and economist based in Tema, Ghana. He read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Cambridge, took an MA in International Relations at the University of Southern California and pursued postgraduate work in Strategic Management at Yale. He served in the Ghana Foreign Service in Bonn, then with UNCTAD in Geneva and the IAEA in Vienna, and spent over a decade at the World Bank's International Development Association in Washington, D.C. Today he is Group Chief Executive of Intercontinental Mining and Contracting Services and Fire Technik in Ghana, and a member of the Bretton Woods Committee.
What is his view on AI and the Ghana economy?
- He argues that Ghana must mainstream digital technology and artificial intelligence across government, industry and education, or risk being left behind by faster-moving economies. In his stated view, AI is not a luxury for advanced countries: it is the growth engine that lets a small economy raise productivity, modernise public services and compete globally. He calls on Ghanaian leaders to invest in digital skills, connectivity and AI-enabled public administration as a national priority.
What does he propose for jobs and unemployment?
- He insists that leaders should be measured by the jobs they create, not the economic vocabulary they recite. His position is that Ghana's central economic task is mass employment, particularly for young people, achieved through industrial expansion, infrastructure build-out, support for indigenous enterprise and serious investment in skills. Macroeconomic indicators, he argues, mean little to a citizen who cannot find work.
What does he say about Ghana ports and power?
- He calls for more ports and reliable power as the foundation of growth. In his view, Ghana needs additional harbour capacity beyond Tema and Takoradi to open up trade, decongest existing facilities and serve the wider sub-region, alongside a dependable electricity supply that industry can plan around. Without these, he warns, jobs, manufacturing and digital ambitions all stall.
What is his position on chiefs and politics?
- He holds that traditional chiefs should remain above partisan politics and serve as custodians of unity, culture and development in their communities. He argues that when chiefs are drawn into party contests they lose the moral authority that makes them effective, and that Ghana is best served by strong institutions and a clear separation between the chieftaincy and partisan office.