Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko-Amidu shares life’s journey reminiscing past

This year’s May Day celebrations, the Executive Director of the STAR-Ghana Foundation and a Member of the Constitutional Review Committee, Alhaji Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu, a social development expert with over 30 years of experience in development management, social policy, institutional and organizational strengthening, has dedicated his career to improving the delivery of public services in Ghana. Speaking at a public lecture in Accra, Alhaji Amidu shared insights on the theme “Lessons from Experience: A Civil Society Leader’s Journey in a Changing World,” urging the youth to take charge of their development and leadership journeys. He also emphasized the importance of self-reliance, humility, and volunteerism, calling for a shift from external dependence to community-driven solutions.

In his lecture, Alhaji Amidu underscored the importance of personal history in shaping leadership journeys. He stated that, “You cannot talk about leadership; you cannot even talk about your work without situating it within the context of your life’s journey. Stating that ‘’who you are today is a factor of who you have been, the journeys that you have undertaken shaped who are today.”

Sharing memories from his upbringing, he highlighted the importance of parental support and encouragement in shaping a person’s future. He narrated how his father an ex-policeman, was always there for his children. To Alhaji Amidu, the important thing was his father’s interest in his children’s education. This is because his father though never having been to school, was nonetheless involved in their education. “You will come back from school and he will ask you to read to him,” he said.

Speaking on leadership, Alhaji Amidu reflected on his student leadership days, recounting how he campaigned for SRC President at the University of Ghana with limited resources and still won, citing self-belief as a factor. To him resilience and self-belief are pillars of leadership. His leadership journey did not end after school. It went beyond the four walls of educational institutions to his professional life. Drawing lessons from his early career days in northern Ghana, Alhaji Amidu stressed that true change happens when communities are engaged meaningfully as he recounted his first job as an administrative accountant of a rural project in northern Ghana. His experiences in life are what he said made him who is today, thereby calling on the youth to embrace their experiences and journey, for they form part of the stories that make us.

Moving into his professional life, Alhaji Tanko Amidu again highlighted the need for community participation in development work sharing lessons from his early career days in northern Ghana and stressing that true change happens when communities are engaged meaningfully.

His lecture also touched on the importance of nurturing local volunteering initiatives. He wondered why Ghanaian youth are not offered the same volunteering opportunities often given to foreign volunteers, calling for a revival of the spirit of service among the country’s youth.

Alhaji Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu’s lecture served as a stirring reminder that leadership is not only about positions held but about the lifelong journey of service, resilience, and integrity. The event formed part of activities leading up to this year’s May Day celebrations.