Nkrumah’s “Industrial Middlemen”

Abstract

On the eve of Ghana’s independence, Kwame Nkrumah was confronted with the challenge of creating an industrial society in the form of local manufacturing of basic goods. He believed setting Ghana on an industrial drive would decolonize the economy, make Ghanaians self-reliant, create job opportunities, and offer technical knowledge to the masses. However, Nkrumah was skeptical of the extent to which foreign capital should be allowed to dominate Ghana’s industrialization. His skepticism allowed Sindhi businessmen, hitherto invested in retailing and wholesaling to evolve into “industrial middlemen” and spearhead one of his economic agendas. This article illustrates how Sindhi manufacturers engaged with Nkrumah’s development rhetoric in the early years after independence by placing themselves at the forefront of local industry to diversify from their earlier economic position as retailers to manufacturers in post independent Ghana.