His Eminence Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and Social Sciences, has emphasised that the true measure of development in Africa must be rooted in the dignity and well-being of its people, not just economic indicators.
Responding to a question on what definition of development Africa should adopt on Channel One TV's The Point of View on Monday, July 7, he referenced the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI), stressing that development must focus on the lived realities of individuals. "This has been presented by the UN - they developed something called the Human Development Index," Cardinal Turkson explained. "If you talk about people's wellbeing, then it is having all the things that promote their wellbeing.
The ultimate point of reference of wellbeing is the dignity of a person." He added that anything that enhances human dignity-such as access to food, clean water, healthcare, shelter, and decent work-should form the foundation of national development strategies. "We make reference to the SDGs… access to food and water, this is basic, access to healthcare, access to shelter, roof over the head, access to decent economic living, work-these are the small things that you consider as the index of wellbeing, and this is a basic thing to be promoted by any government," he stated.
Cardinal Turkson's remarks come at a time when African nations are grappling with balancing economic growth with inclusive, equitable development.
