Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana, Professor Lloyd Amoah, has warned African nations about the threat of what he describes as “digital imperialism” in the development of local economic models that shape citizens’ lives.
He made this call at the 2026 JB Danquah Memorial Lecture Series, organised by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences from February 17 to February 20, 2026, in Accra, on the theme: “Africa–China Relations: Partnership, Peonage, Pawnage and Possibilities?”
Speaking on Day 2 of the event, Professor Amoah urged African governments to be cautious about the overreliance on foreign technology to underpin developmental paradigms intended to improve the lives of their citizens.
“Through my research over the years on this subject, I coined the term ‘digital imperialism’ to mean the contemporary instantiation of imperialist tendencies enabled by the internet and wider globe-trotting telecommunications infrastructure,” he said.
He warned that Africa’s failure to utilise its technical human resources to develop context-specific technologies for socio-economic transformation poses a major risk to the continent’s future.
“This phenomenon of us, as a continent, not utilising our technical human resources to develop context-specific technologies for our socio-economic transformation poses a bigger risk to our future if nothing substantial is done, policy-wise, by our leaders in the region,” he added.
In her concluding remarks as Chair for Day 2, Emerita Professor Takyiwaa Manuh called on African states to be resourceful and tactful in negotiating the level of control exercised by foreign entities and nations whose interests may affect the continent’s socio-economic fortunes.
“It is true to our values and principles that we, as conscientious citizens of Africa, must begin demanding that our elected representatives act responsibly in how they trade our resources for a few dollars under the guise of building economic and political alliances,” she said.
“The next generation of leaders must draw from the experiences of their forebears on how weak and unequal alliances stagnated Africa’s forward march to prosperity for such a long time.”
The event attracted a strong audience, including Senior High School students from Accra Girls, Presbyterian Boys’ SHS (Legon), Labone Secondary School, senior and junior members of the Academy, selected media personnel, and members of the public.
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Story by Sika Togoh | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Gabriel Tecco Mensah
