In every thriving society, there is a delicate balance between those who focus on building businesses and those who govern the state. When that balance is tilted too far in one direction, the consequences are dire. For Ghana, this imbalance is both palpable and costly. A vast number of our brightest minds pour their energies into their businesses, creating wealth, jobs, and opportunities. Meanwhile, politics—where national resources, taxes, and development decisions are made—is left to those who may lack the vision, competence, or noble intentions to steward the country’s future. It is a dangerous dichotomy, one that risks stifling both personal success and national progress.

In societies that have reached a level of institutional maturity, like Norway or Luxembourg, businesspeople can afford to “mind only their business” while the state runs on autopilot. They can trust that taxes will be utilised effectively and that governance will remain largely insulated from greed, incompetence, or the undue influence of self-serving interests. Unfortunately, Ghana has not yet reached this stage of development. We still operate in a system where the lines between personal enrichment and public service are too often blurred. This is why the smartest and most capable individuals in any society must make it their priority to engage in both personal business and politics.

The Need for Dual Engagement

Politics and business may seem like unidentical twins, but they are inseparable in the real world. The decisions made in parliament, the priorities set by ministers, and the policies enacted by government affect every aspect of our personal and professional lives. From taxes to tariffs, infrastructure to education, the state plays an active role in shaping the business environment. To ignore politics is to ignore the very environment in which businesses operate, thrive, or fail.

And yet, many businesspeople shy away from politics, seeing it as a dirty game, fraught with corruption and inefficiency. This view is understandable, but it is also self-defeating. By ceding political space to those who may lack the foresight or capacity to manage state resources effectively, we ensure that our hard-earned wealth will be mismanaged, misallocated, or outright squandered. The very people we seek to avoid—those with little understanding of national development—end up controlling our tax contributions and steering the nation’s development trajectory.

The Consequences of Apathy

When successful and intelligent individuals disengage from politics, it creates a vacuum—one that is too often filled by those driven by self-interest rather than the national good. This is why we find ourselves with parliaments that can be controlled by a few greedy interests, where legislators do not necessarily represent the needs and aspirations of their constituents, but rather the narrow desires of the elite few who can afford to bend the system in their favour.

As a result, our taxes, meant to fuel national development and uplift communities, are redirected towards vanity projects, or worse, siphoned off into private pockets. The roads remain unpaved, schools remain underfunded, and healthcare remains in a state of crisis—all while the wealth generated by our businesses is funnelled into a system that fails to serve us.

This is not just a theoretical issue; it is the reality we live in. Ghana is a nation full of potential, but that potential will remain untapped unless we actively work to ensure that our leaders are as committed to progress as we are in our businesses. We cannot expect national development to happen by chance or by the efforts of those who lack the knowledge or drive to prioritise the country's long-term interests.

Avoiding the Pitfalls of a Few Financial Contributors Holding the Nation Hostage

Recent instances in Ghana’s political landscape have demonstrated a troubling trend where a few successful businesspeople, having contributed financially to political parties, wield disproportionate influence. Some of these individuals, instead of prioritising national interests, have performed unsatisfactorily or exhibited greed, driven by a sense of entitlement because they believe their financial contributions make them the ultimate decision-makers.

This issue highlights a critical gap: if more sharp, intelligent, and equally successful people were involved in politics, these isolated cases of unsatisfactory leadership would have been tempered by the presence of others who could stand their ground. The problem arises when a handful of wealthy contributors dominate the decision-making process, effectively holding political parties and, by extension, the nation to ransom. When only a select few hold financial power within a party, their voices can drown out more balanced, reasoned views, leading to poor governance decisions that prioritise personal gain over the national good.

Imagine a cabinet or decision-making table filled not with one or two dominant financial contributors but with a multitude of business-savvy individuals who have made their mark in different sectors. Such a diverse group would prevent any one person from bullying others out of their views. It would foster healthy debate and ensure that no single financial contributor could dictate policy based on personal or financial interests. With more minds at the table, equipped with the financial muscle and intellect to back their views, political parties would be less vulnerable to being hijacked by a small group of wealthy interests.

The unfortunate reality is that, today, too few of our most capable minds see politics as a viable avenue for their talents. This leaves room for those few who do step in—often driven by their own narrow financial interests—to have an outsized impact on the political landscape. The solution to this problem is not to dissuade businesspeople from entering politics but to encourage more of them to do so. The more individuals with integrity, intelligence, and financial independence involved in politics, the harder it will be for any single group to control the system. A broader coalition of sharp minds can hold each other accountable, ensuring that no one can dominate decision-making unchecked.

The Role of the Capable Citizen

It is time for Ghana’s most capable individuals to step up, not just in business, but in politics as well. This does not mean abandoning our enterprises but rather seeing them as part of a broader mission to shape the future of our nation. We must treat politics with the same seriousness, discipline, and innovation that we bring to our businesses. Just as we strategise, invest, and innovate to ensure our businesses succeed, so too must we strategise, engage, and innovate within the political sphere to ensure our nation succeeds.

When successful individuals engage in politics, they bring with them a wealth of experience, integrity, and a commitment to excellence that can elevate the entire system. They understand the importance of long-term planning, of making decisions based on data and research, and of prioritising efficiency and results over short-term gain. Most importantly, they bring a sense of responsibility to ensure that the nation's resources, including taxes, are used wisely for the benefit of all citisens, not just a select few.

Building a National Consensus

To truly build a Ghana where both business and government work in tandem for national development, we must encourage a new wave of political engagement—one that is driven by competence, vision, and integrity. We must create a national consensus that values both personal success and collective responsibility. This means encouraging more successful and intelligent individuals with noble intentions to enter politics, not as a side project or afterthought, but as a core part of their mission in life.

In Ghana, we need leaders who are not just politicians, but visionaries, innovators, and problem solvers—leaders who understand that development is not just about erecting monuments but about creating systems that empower every citizen to thrive. These are the kinds of leaders we need in parliament, in ministries, and in local government.

A Call to Action

If we, the business community, fail to heed this call, we risk being ruled by the most clueless and self-interested individuals, whose priorities are far from noble. Our taxes will continue to be squandered, our communities will remain underdeveloped, and our national potential will remain unfulfilled. The only way to change this is for us to engage directly—to not only build our businesses but to build our nation.

Ghana has not yet reached the point where we can afford to “mind only our business.” We are still a nation in need of visionary leadership, and that leadership must come from those who have demonstrated their ability to build, to innovate, and to succeed in the real world. The future of Ghana depends not just on what we do in our boardrooms, but on what we do in the halls of power. It is time to treat business and politics as unidentical twins—distinct but inseparable in their impact on national development.

If we are to secure a future where our taxes are used to develop the nation, where our communities thrive, and where our businesses can operate in a supportive and well-governed environment, we must prioritise both. Let us not leave the destiny of our nation in the hands of those who do not understand what it takes to build. Let us step into the political arena, not as spectators, but as active participants determined to shape the future of Ghana for the better.

Kwame Sowu is a Ghanaian entrepreneur and thought leader committed to the intersection of business and national development.