The Missions Director and Lead Pastor of Thanksgiving Place Ministries Incorporated in Accra, Reverend Acheampong E. S. Builderman, has called on Ghanaians to make reading, writing and critical thinking a national culture, saying a nation that reads extensively is better positioned to build a knowledge-driven economy.
Rev Builderman, who is a theologian, educational consultant and author, said literacy should no longer be understood merely as the ability to read and write but as a foundation for intellectual independence, responsible citizenship, spiritual maturity, innovation and national development.
He made the call in an interview with the Media ahead of International Literacy Day, observed globally on September 8.
"A society that neglects reading ultimately weakens its capacity to think, question, innovate and preserve its own story," he said.
Rev Builderman said Africa must become intentional about researching, documenting and telling its own stories, noting that generations of Africans have inherited historical narratives which in some instances diminished the continent's achievements and distorted its identity.
"Our history was not written by us," he stressed.
He said his own intellectual journey had involved extensive research into colonialism, African history, religion and civilisation, including reading the Quran and understanding Hebrew and Greek New Testament alongside historical and theological materials.
"Reading gives you the capacity to interrogate what you have been told," he said.
Literacy Beyond Reading and Writing
The clergyman said the challenge facing Africa is not simply illiteracy in the conventional sense, but the failure to cultivate a population that reads deeply, thinks critically and applies knowledge responsibly.
"If we read but do not think, we have only accumulated information. If we think but do not act, knowledge has not yet become transformation," he said.
He urged churches to create communities where reading, research and intellectual inquiry are encouraged alongside prayer, and charged pastors and Christian leaders to challenge young people to read beyond religious literature.
Africa Must Reclaim Its Humanity
Rev Builderman's call is linked to his latest book, Africa Beware: The Chains, the Choice, and the Almighty God Who Sets a Continent Free, which examines Africa's history, identity, slavery, colonialism, leadership and development.
He said the book was inspired by questions from his daughters during their African history studies, including questions about where Africans truly belong, why Africa remains poor despite abundant resources, and why maps historically represented Africa disproportionately.
"Before any history lesson taught an African child that her past was small, the map on the wall had already taught her that her continent was small. The lies reached her before she could even read," he said.
He explained that the book examines the relationship between historical exploitation and contemporary leadership through two archetypes - the steward, who sees power as responsibility, and the thief, who sees public resources as opportunity for personal enrichment.
He linked the principle to illegal mining (galamsey), describing the destruction of Ghana's rivers and forests as a failure of stewardship.
Rev Builderman, who has seven published books and is working on 10 additional manuscripts, said Ghana's aspiration to become a knowledge economy must begin with a population that reads.
He urged parents to introduce children to books early, schools to strengthen reading cultures, churches to establish libraries, and professionals to continue learning beyond formal education.
"Education does not end when you leave school. The moment you stop learning, you begin to surrender your capacity to grow," he said.
International Literacy Day, established in 1967, highlights the importance of literacy as a fundamental human right and foundation for a more just, peaceful and sustainable society.
"A reading nation builds a knowledge economy," Rev Builderman said, adding that reading is ultimately an act of national development, writing preserves memory and critical thinking protects truth.
