Former Energy Minister and 2024 New Patriotic Party (NPP) running mate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has delivered the keynote address at the 2026 Busia Institute Lecture held in London.
The event took place on Sunday, August 9, 2026, at the London Hilton on Park Lane under the theme “Centre-Right Political Thought in Africa: The Ghanaian Experience.”
Organised by the Busia Institute for Rural and Democratic Development (BIRDD), the lecture formed part of efforts to promote research, civic education and informed public discourse on democratic governance and constitutional development in Ghana and across Africa.
Dr Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as Napo, focused on the intellectual foundations of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition. In remarks ahead of the lecture, he described the tradition as one that champions a centre-right philosophy aimed at liberating the energies of the Ghanaian people.
He said the approach believes prosperity is best created when citizens are empowered to innovate, build and own, while ensuring that no one is left behind a balance that former President John Agyekum Kufuor once described as “capitalism with a conscience.”
Former President Kufuor, who is the Life Patron of BIRDD, delivered the Life Patron’s Address at the event. The lecture was chaired by the Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.
According to the organisers, the decision to host the lecture in London was aimed at strengthening collaboration among scholars, policymakers and the Ghanaian diaspora, while extending discussions on Africa’s democratic future to a wider international audience.
Participants included academics, diplomats, business leaders, civil society actors and members of the Ghanaian community in the United Kingdom.
The Busia Institute Lecture remains one of BIRDD’s flagship platforms for advancing scholarship and public engagement on governance, leadership and democracy.
Editor:
Obiri-Yeboah
