1D1F was political rhetoric with little visible impact – Prof. Lawrence Lowell

Political scientist and educationist, Prof. Lawrence Lowell, has criticised the New Patriotic Party’s One District, One Factory (1D1F) policy, describing it as largely political rhetoric that failed to deliver visible and tangible results across the country.

Speaking on Oyerepa TV, Prof. Lowell stressed that his comments were not motivated by partisan loyalty, stating that his position is grounded in neutrality and critical assessment rather than political alignment.

“I am a neutral person. I do not speak for politicians,” he clarified.

Questioning the implementation of the 1D1F policy, Prof. Lowell argued that many of the claims made about the programme could not be verified on the ground. He challenged assertions that hundreds of factories had been established under the initiative.

“How many areas can we actually find these factories? It was all political talk used to deceive us,” he said, adding that the widely cited figures of over 300 factories, including claims of more than 160 fully functional ones, were not reflected in the lived experiences of most communities.

Even if the claims were to be accepted, Prof. Lowell maintained that the results were not immediate and took several years to materialise, making current criticisms of President John Dramani Mahama unfair.

“Let us assume they did all these factories. We did not see anything within the first year. They took their full eight years, so why do they expect Mahama to use only one year to roll out his 24-hour economy policy?” he questioned.

Commenting on the pace of implementation of the 24-hour economy, Prof. Lowell said he could not definitively say what was delaying the policy but pointed to structural challenges inherited by successive governments.

“I do not know exactly what is preventing Mahama from doing the 24-hour economy, but I know that every government inherits debts from the previous one, and these debts must be settled before new promises can be fully implemented,” he explained.

He concluded by cautioning against premature judgment of the current administration, acknowledging public frustration with political leadership but urging patience.

“I know politicians sometimes joke with us as citizens, but I also believe it is too early to judge President John Dramani Mahama,” Prof. Lowell stated.