Leadership in Ghana

In this episode, we sit down with the renowned Professor Audrey Gadzekpo - one of Ghana’s leading voices on media, democracy, and gender - for an insightful conversation on leadership in Ghana and beyond.

We take a deep dive into the enduring legacy of Jerry John Rawlings, Ghana’s longest-serving leader who ruled the country for two decades, first as military dictator and then as a democratically-elected president: the revolutionary energy he sparked, his ability to connect with ordinary Ghanaians, the moral contradictions of his rule, and why many young Africans today seem to yearn for the radical style of leadership he embodied. Prof Gadzekpo also tells the expectations Ghanaians have of their leaders today, which African leaders they admire, and why women still struggle to make headway in the country’s politics.

From the role of social media in reshaping today’s political landscape and the dangers of nostalgia for authoritarian-style leadership to the hard truths about gender equality in African politics — this episode explores our imaginations of power and who should get to hold it.