President of the newly established African School of Governance (ASG), Kingsley Moghalu, has urged African leaders to attune their minds to the provision of potable water, effective education systems, and access to good healthcare for all which he described as the foundations of development.

The former Central Bank Deputy Governor stressed the need for application of productive knowledge to drive development and not a fixation on Gross domestic Product (GDP).

Moghalu, in a post on his X handle, said development does not begin with ‘foreign investment’ in the midst of chaos, absence of accountability and rule of law, and social cohesion.

He advocated that leaders should ensure a unified national ambition, values and organisation to implement plans effectively as a basis for measuring development.
The political economist wrote, “Development begins in the mind, not in the GDP delusion. It begins with unified national/societal ambition, values (such as real accountability), and organization to implement plans effectively.

“All of this depends on leadership and governance. Also begins, at the second level after their first, with knowledge and skills that apply that knowledge. This is called Productive Knowledge (PK).

“Development does not begin with ‘foreign investment’ in the midst of chaos, absence of accountability and rule of law, values, a worldview of transformation, and the absence of social cohesion.

“It begins with potable drinking water, effective education systems, access to good healthcare for all. These are the foundations of development. African leaders must get this right,” he said.