Learning materials
Economic History of Ghana – The Post Indepedence Era Questions and Answers
- Ghana attained political independence from Britain in which year?
A. 1956
B. 1957
C. 1960
D. 1961 - Which leader introduced the “Programme for Work and Happiness”?
A. Dr. Hilla Limann
B. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
C. General Kutu Acheampong
D. Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings - The main aim of the Seven-Year Development Plan (1963–1970) was to:
A. Reduce agricultural production
B. Focus only on mining
C. Rapidly industrialize the country
D. Increase import dependence - Which major energy project was initiated under Nkrumah’s industrialisation agenda?
A. Akosombo Thermal Plant
B. Bui Dam
C. Volta River Hydro-electric Project
D. Kpong Hydro Dam - The overthrow of Nkrumah’s government took place in:
A. 1964
B. 1965
C. 1966
D. 1967 - Which government introduced the State Farms and Industries policy after Nkrumah?
A. Limann’s Government
B. National Liberation Council (NLC)
C. Busia’s Government
D. PNDC - The devaluation of the cedi in 1971 was intended to:
A. Reduce export revenue
B. Encourage exports and reduce imports
C. Increase domestic inflation
D. Abolish foreign trade - Which economic policy encouraged individuals to grow their own food during the 1970s?
A. Green Revolution
B. Operation Feed Yourself
C. Vision 2020
D. SAPRI - Operation Feed Yourself was championed by:
A. Nkrumah
B. Busia
C. Acheampong
D. Rawlings - The Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) was launched in:
A. 1981
B. 1982
C. 1983
D. 1984 - ERP was supported mainly by:
A. ECOWAS
B. African Union
C. IMF and World Bank
D. United Nations - Which policy was introduced to cushion the social cost of SAP?
A. Vision 2020
B. PAMSCAD
C. HIPC Initiative
D. SAPRI - The Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in Ghana aimed to:
A. Increase state control over the economy
B. Liberalise and privatise the economy
C. Ban foreign investment
D. End agricultural production - Ghana returned to multi-party democracy in:
A. 1989
B. 1991
C. 1992
D. 1994 - The Vision 2020 Strategy was introduced under which government?
A. Acheampong
B. Limann
C. Rawlings
D. Kufuor - SAPRI stands for:
A. Social Agricultural Policy Review Initiative
B. Structural Adjustment Participatory Review Initiative
C. State Agricultural Policy Reform Initiative
D. Structural Agricultural Planning Reform Initiative - The HIPC Initiative in Ghana was adopted in:
A. 1998
B. 1999
C. 2001
D. 2003 - The “Golden Age of Business” policy was associated with:
A. Rawlings
B. Kufuor
C. Mahama
D. Atta Mills - One key objective of HIPC was to:
A. Increase national debt
B. Reduce Ghana’s debt burden
C. Ban imports
D. End foreign aid - Which period marked Ghana’s highest inflation rates in the post-independence era?
A. 1960s
B. Late 1970s – early 1980s
C. Mid-1990s
D. 2010s - Nkrumah’s economic policies between 1957 and 1966 were mainly aimed at:
A. Reducing exports
B. Promoting industrialization
C. Closing factories
D. Increasing foreign debt - The Volta River Project was partly financed by:
A. The IMF
B. ECOWAS
C. The World Bank
D. OPEC - The overthrow of Busia’s government occurred in:
A. 1969
B. 1970
C. 1972
D. 1974 - The “Yentua” budget of 1971 was presented by:
A. Acheampong
B. Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia
C. Nkrumah
D. Rawlings - Ghana’s economy deteriorated rapidly in the late 1970s due to:
A. Overproduction
B. Mismanagement and corruption
C. High oil exports
D. Political stability - SAPs in Ghana were implemented during:
A. 1970–1974
B. 1975–1979
C. 1983–1992
D. 1995–2000 - PAMSCAD was introduced in which year?
A. 1984
B. 1987
C. 1988
D. 1990 - Vision 2020 was designed to make Ghana:
A. Debt-free by 2010
B. A middle-income country by 2020
C. A high-income country by 2000
D. Self-sufficient in oil by 2025 - Under HIPC, Ghana benefited from:
A. Increased tariffs
B. More imports
C. Debt relief
D. Ban on exports - The IMF’s role in Ghana during the ERP included:
A. Providing political advisors
B. Giving financial support and policy guidance
C. Building infrastructure
D. Increasing taxes directly - The State Farms policy aimed to:
A. Encourage private farming only
B. Establish large government-run farms
C. Stop food production
D. Sell all farmland to foreigners - The Structural Adjustment Participatory Review Initiative (SAPRI) was launched to:
A. Abolish SAPs
B. Assess the social impact of SAPs
C. Replace SAP with ERP
D. Promote PAMSCAD - The Akosombo Dam was completed in:
A. 1959
B. 1963
C. 1965
D. 1968 - One major criticism of SAPs was that they:
A. Reduced foreign aid
B. Caused job losses and hardship
C. Increased government employment
D. Led to free education - The National Liberation Council ruled Ghana from:
A. 1964–1966
B. 1966–1969
C. 1966–1969
D. 1969–1972 - Acheampong introduced which notable economic measure?
A. ERP
B. Vision 2020
C. Operation Feed Yourself
D. SAPRI - Which policy sought to promote private sector-led growth under Kufuor?
A. ERP
B. SAP
C. PAMSCAD
D. Golden Age of Business - The ERP aimed to stabilise Ghana’s economy by:
A. Increasing subsidies
B. Reducing inflation and restoring growth
C. Printing more money
D. Banning exports - One key outcome of HIPC was:
A. Currency devaluation
B. Increased spending on social services
C. Military intervention
D. Abolition of taxes - Which economic policy was criticised for making Ghana dependent on foreign aid?
A. Operation Feed Yourself
B. SAP
C. Vision 2020
D. PAMSCAD
- Which government launched the “Operation Feed Yourself” programme?
A. Rawlings
B. Limann
C. Acheampong
D. Nkrumah - The main export commodity of Ghana in the 1960s was:
A. Gold
B. Cocoa
C. Timber
D. Oil - Which year did the Busia government introduce the “Yentua” budget?
A. 1970
B. 1971
C. 1972
D. 1973 - The Limann administration lasted for:
A. 1 year
B. 2 years
C. 3 years
D. 4 years - The ERP started in Ghana due to:
A. Political stability
B. Severe economic crisis
C. Oil discovery
D. Export growth - SAPs were implemented under which leader?
A. Acheampong
B. Busia
C. Limann
D. Rawlings - Which of these was a social safety net under SAP?
A. Vision 2020
B. SAPRI
C. PAMSCAD
D. ERP - The main criticism against ERP was that it:
A. Reduced exports
B. Encouraged corruption
C. Increased social hardship
D. Limited foreign aid - Which policy aimed to assess the impact of SAPs on Ghanaians?
A. Vision 2020
B. SAPRI
C. ERP
D. HIPC - The Volta River Project was designed to:
A. Boost fishing
B. Provide hydroelectric power
C. Increase tourism
D. Reduce imports - Ghana joined HIPC in:
A. 1999
B. 2001
C. 2003
D. 2005 - HIPC relief was aimed at:
A. Building industries
B. Reducing external debt
C. Creating military bases
D. Abolishing taxes - Which government initiated the “Golden Age of Business”?
A. Rawlings
B. Kufuor
C. Mills
D. Mahama - Under SAP, many state enterprises were:
A. Expanded
B. Nationalised
C. Privatised
D. Closed permanently - Ghana’s return to constitutional rule in 1992 led to:
A. Less foreign investment
B. Increased political stability
C. Abolition of SAP
D. End of exports - Which policy was implemented to achieve middle-income status by 2020?
A. ERP
B. SAP
C. Vision 2020
D. PAMSCAD - “Programme for Work and Happiness” was mainly aimed at:
A. Reducing debt
B. Creating jobs and improving welfare
C. Abolishing taxes
D. Privatizing industries - The State Farms concept was criticised because it:
A. Increased productivity
B. Boosted private sector
C. Was inefficient and costly
D. Attracted foreign investment - Under Acheampong, the barter trade policy “Operation Feed Yourself” was intended to:
A. Promote luxury goods
B. Reduce food imports
C. Increase debt
D. Promote oil exports - ERP reforms focused on:
A. Closing banks
B. Currency stabilisation
C. Reducing foreign aid
D. Banning imports - Which government undertook massive privatisation in the late 1980s?
A. Busia
B. Acheampong
C. Rawlings
D. Limann - SAP policies often required:
A. Currency appreciation
B. Currency devaluation
C. Export bans
D. High subsidies - Ghana’s cocoa sector was restructured under:
A. Operation Feed Yourself
B. ERP/SAP
C. Vision 2020
D. HIPC - The “Golden Age of Business” aimed to:
A. Limit foreign investment
B. Expand state farms
C. Encourage private sector growth
D. Reduce entrepreneurship - Vision 2020 was launched in:
A. 1994
B. 1995
C. 1996
D. 1998 - Which of the following was NOT part of SAP?
A. Trade liberalisation
B. Privatisation
C. Deregulation
D. State monopoly expansion - Which leader initiated PAMSCAD?
A. Acheampong
B. Busia
C. Rawlings
D. Kufuor - The ERP’s main objective was to:
A. Reduce foreign reserves
B. Increase state control
C. Stabilise the economy
D. Ban imports - Which economic strategy involved debt forgiveness?
A. ERP
B. HIPC
C. SAP
D. Vision 2020 - The Akosombo Dam’s completion boosted:
A. Cocoa exports
B. Tourism
C. Industrial power supply
D. Mining - The “Yentua” budget was unpopular because it:
A. Increased salaries
B. Introduced high taxes
C. Reduced interest rates
D. Provided subsidies - SAPRI was mainly focused on:
A. Implementing SAPs
B. Reviewing SAP impacts
C. Creating ERP policies
D. Promoting PAMSCAD - Which leader’s policies focused heavily on self-reliance in food production?
A. Rawlings
B. Acheampong
C. Busia
D. Limann - The 1960s industrial drive was heavily supported by:
A. IMF loans
B. HIPC relief
C. Volta River Project
D. PAMSCAD - Ghana’s debt burden in the 1990s led to:
A. Vision 2030
B. PAMSCAD
C. HIPC adoption
D. ERP review - SAP conditions often included:
A. Currency strengthening
B. Reduction in subsidies
C. Import bans
D. Wage increases - Which sector received priority under Operation Feed Yourself?
A. Mining
B. Banking
C. Agriculture
D. Tourism - The Limann government was overthrown in:
A. 1979
B. 1981
C. 1983
D. 1985 - The Rawlings-led PNDC adopted ERP in:
A. 1981
B. 1982
C. 1983
D. 1985 - Which body helped design SAPs for Ghana?
A. ECOWAS
B. AU
C. IMF and World Bank
D. UN - The “Golden Age of Business” began in which year?
A. 1999
B. 2001
C. 2003
D. 2005 - Which project aimed at electrifying industries in Ghana?
A. PAMSCAD
B. ERP
C. Volta River Project
D. Vision 2020 - SAPRI was launched in Ghana in:
A. 1997
B. 1998
C. 1999
D. 2000 - Which initiative aimed to attract foreign investment in the 2000s?
A. PAMSCAD
B. SAPRI
C. Golden Age of Business
D. Vision 2020 - ERP helped restore:
A. Unemployment
B. Economic growth
C. Inflation
D. Poverty levels - One negative effect of SAP was:
A. High government revenue
B. Social inequality
C. Low foreign aid
D. Industrial expansion - Which policy aimed at reducing social costs of economic reforms?
A. ERP
B. PAMSCAD
C. Vision 2020
D. Golden Age of Business - Ghana’s economic growth slowed in the late 1970s due to:
A. Foreign investment
B. Political instability
C. Increased exports
D. Currency stability - The main goal of Vision 2020 was:
A. Full privatisation
B. Middle-income status by 2020
C. Currency devaluation
D. Import bans - SAPRI provided:
A. Loans
B. Research findings on SAP impacts
C. Industrial equipment
D. Subsidies - The ERP was adopted mainly to:
A. Increase imports
B. Stabilise the macro-economy
C. Reduce exports
D. Expand state farms - Which leader launched the Volta River Project?
A. Busia
B. Acheampong
C. Nkrumah
D. Rawlings - HIPC allowed Ghana to:
A. Increase debt
B. Privatise industries
C. Use savings for development projects
D. Stop exports - Ghana’s economic liberalisation began in earnest in:
A. 1970
B. 1975
C. 1983
D. 1990 - SAPs emphasised:
A. Price control
B. Subsidies
C. Market liberalisation
D. State ownership - ERP reforms included:
A. Expanding subsidies
B. Increasing tariffs
C. Currency devaluation
D. Import bans - Which government initiated Vision 2020?
A. Acheampong
B. Mills
C. Rawlings
D. Mahama - The main social impact of PAMSCAD was:
A. Increased unemployment
B. Currency stability
C. Support for vulnerable groups
D. Ban on imports - Golden Age of Business policy targeted:
A. Farmers
B. Teachers
C. Entrepreneurs
D. Civil servants - One common feature of Ghana’s post-independence economic policies has been:
A. Total isolation from world economy
B. Reliance on foreign aid and investment
C. Ban on industrialisation
D. Permanent price controls
Essay questions
- Analyse 5 main features of Ghana’s economic policies between 1957 and 1966, with specific reference to the Programme for Work and Happiness and the Seven-Year Development Plan.
- Discuss the role of the Volta River Hydro-electric Project in Ghana’s industrialisation drive during the early post-independence period.
- Compare and contrast the economic policies of Nkrumah’s government with those of the military regimes that succeeded him between 1966 and 1983.
- Assess the successes and challenges of the “Operation Feed Yourself” programme and its impact on Ghana’s economy.
- Examine the causes and consequences of the devaluation of the cedi in the period after Nkrumah’s fall.
- Evaluate the influence of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank on Ghana’s economy during the implementation of the Economic Recovery Programme (ERP).
- Critically assess the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) and its social and economic effects on Ghana between 1983 and 1992.
- Discuss 5 objectives of the Programme of Action to Mitigate the Social Cost of Adjustment (PAMSCAD) in Ghana’s economic recovery process.
- Examine Ghana’s Vision 2020 Strategy and its effectiveness in promoting economic growth and development.
- Analyse the rationale, benefits, and drawbacks of Ghana’s acceptance of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative.
- Discuss the concept of the “Golden Age of Business” and assess its role in shaping Ghana’s private sector development.
- Evaluate the recurring themes and patterns in Ghana’s economic policies since independence, and their implications for sustainable development.
- Explain 5 role of agriculture and industry in Ghana’s economic growth from 1957 to the present.
- Discuss 5 contributions of international economic agencies to Ghana’s economic development since independence.
- Propose 5 strategies that Ghana could adopt to achieve economic self-sufficiency in the 21st century, based on lessons from its post-independence economic history.
