The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) successfully hosted the 59th edition of the J.B. Danquah Memorial Lecture, a notable annual event held in honour of Dr. Joseph Boakye Danquah, a founding member of the Academy. This year’s keynote speaker, Professor Lloyd G. Adu Amoah, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana and Founding Director of the Centre for Asian Studies, delivered a compelling three-day lecture series under the theme “Africa–China Relations: Partnership, Peonage, Pawnage and Possibilities.”
Held from 17th to 19th February, 2026 at the Kwame Nkrumah Auditorium of the GAAS Secretariat in Accra, the lecture series drew a distinguished audience of scholars, academics, students, policymakers, and members of the public.
Professor Amoah’s presentations critically examined the evolving nature of Africa–China relations, questioning whether the relationship represents a genuine partnership or reflects deeper structural inequalities and dependencies. The lectures were delivered under the subthemes “Africa–China Ties: The Partnership Pathology,” “China’s Dutifully Smarmy Peon and Pawn?” and “Africa, Ghana: The Lodestar for New Possibilities in Africa–China Relations.”
Across the three days, Professor Amoah argued that African countries must critically reassess and renegotiate their engagement with China to ensure that such relationships support Africa’s development priorities. He cautioned that without stronger industrial capacity, Africa risks becoming primarily a market for cheap Chinese imports, a situation that could weaken domestic manufacturing and undermine long term economic transformation. He therefore urged African leaders and policymakers to move beyond uncritical narratives of partnership and pursue more balanced economic engagement that prioritises industrial development rather than resource extraction.
The lectures also explored the broader role of global capitalism in shaping Africa–China relations. Professor Amoah argued that China, once seen as a revolutionary ally of the Global South, has since the 1970s become integrated into the global capitalist system and now operates largely as a status quo power advancing its own economic interests.
Reflecting on Africa’s earlier efforts toward economic self reliance, including the Lagos Plan of Action of 1980, a landmark African initiative aimed at promoting economic self reliance and regional development, he noted that many such initiatives were weakened by structural adjustment policies promoted by international financial institutions, which often overlooked structural inequalities within the global economic system.
Drawing on the historical symbolism of Elmina Fort, a reminder of Africa’s past exploitation within global systems, and the Pan African leadership of Kwame Nkrumah, Professor Amoah suggested that Ghana holds a unique moral and diplomatic position to help lead Africa in re-examining its engagement with China. He argued that the country’s historical experience and legacy of Pan African leadership place it in a strong position to advocate a more equitable international order that promotes fairness, environmental responsibility, and sustainable development across the continent.
In their closing reflections over the three days, the chairpersons emphasised the need for a more critical and strategic approach to Africa’s global partnerships. Emerita Professor Isabella Akyinbah Quakyi, President of GAAS, warned that concerns about racism within Africa–China relations cannot be ignored and called for a reassessment of whether the relationship truly advances Africa’s development. Emerita Professor Takyiwaa Manuh, Vice President of the Arts Section of the Academy, highlighted issues such as China’s expanding digital and infrastructural influence, debt dynamics, and the need for clearer and more deliberate engagement strategies. Concluding the series, Professor Ben K. Ahunu, FGA, Council Member and former Honorary Secretary of the Academy, stressed the importance of Africa standing more firmly and independently in international affairs and emphasised that sustainable partnerships must be grounded in fairness, mutual respect, and shared benefit.
Among the attendees were students from Accra Academy Senior High School, Accra Girls Senior High School, Labone Senior High School, Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School, and humanities students from the University of Ghana, alongside members of the media.
Since it was founded in 1959, the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences has played a significant role in shaping intellectual discourse in Ghana through research, scholarly engagement, and public lectures. Among its most distinguished programmes is the J.B. Danquah Memorial Lecture Series, which has become an important platform for thoughtful reflection on issues of national and global significance. Now in its 59th edition, the series continues to bring leading scholars and thinkers into conversation with the wider public, sustaining the Academy’s longstanding tradition of intellectual inquiry and reflection.
