Ghanaians must stop being slaves and beggars to foreigners

Business mogul Ibrahim Mahama has called on Ghanaians to move past serving strictly as employees for foreign corporations and build major indigenous enterprises capable of lasting for generations.

Reflecting on his motivation for establishing Dzata Cement, the industrialist explained that the venture was built to prove that local entrepreneurs possess the capacity to execute giant manufacturing projects.

"We can't always be beggars, and we can't only just be employees to foreign companies. We can build it ourselves," Mahama declared.

He expressed regret that citizens often undervalue their capabilities and settle for subordinate roles within the national economy.

"For far too long Ghanaians, I say Ghanaians. We put ourselves low, and we want to always slave, be the slave to the foreigners," he stated.

Mahama recalled how a former executive at a foreign cement firm once doubted a Ghanaian's ability to erect a cement plant, a comment that only strengthened his resolve to build Dzata Cement.

Drawing on his three decades leading Engineers & Planners, he emphasized the critical need for generational succession and mentoring younger leaders to assume management responsibility.

"We won't live forever. So sometimes we should give the children the opportunity to be able to take that risk of managing," he advised.

To prove his confidence in youth leadership, Mahama revealed that he stayed completely away from the Dzata Cement production plant for three years while his management team ran operations successfully.

He assured that Dzata Cement will not be his final industrial project, reaffirming his commitment to building sustainable, Ghanaian-owned enterprises that outlive their founders.