Business executive and independent consultant Yaw Nsarkoh has called for a decisive shift from short-term thinking, insisting that Ghana’s real test lies in how it prepares for the future.

“Well, the long term is where we will live, not the past, not the present,” he said on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday.

“The long term is where we will live, and the long term is where our progeny will live.”

The former Unilever Executive Vice President argued that national conversations must move beyond immediate political and economic pressures and focus on the kind of society being built for the next generation.

“More importantly, so if we are people who think very carefully about what society we would like those who come after us to live in, then we have to be focused on the long term, not just the short term.”

His comments come at a time of heightened public debate over economic challenges and policy direction. But Nsarkoh maintained that while present difficulties are real, they must not trap leaders into reactive decision-making.

“Yes, there are immediate pressures, but we must understand the past and the immediate pressures in order that we can create a better future for those who come after us.”

He stressed that understanding history and current constraints is necessary, but only as a foundation for shaping what lies ahead.

For Nsarkoh, the responsibility goes beyond policymakers. It extends to citizens and corporate leaders who shape institutions and influence public life.

“And I would think that should be the ambition of people who are serious about citizenship and about society.”

His remarks frame long-term thinking not as an abstract ideal but as a civic duty. He suggests that leadership without a generational horizon risks leaving future citizens to deal with the consequences of today’s short-sighted choices.

Throughout the interview, Nsarkoh returned to the idea that the future is not a distant concept but the space where today’s decisions will mature.

“The long term is where we will live,” he repeated, underscoring the urgency of planning beyond electoral cycles and quarterly results.

In a climate often dominated by immediate fixes and political expediency, his message was clear: the real measure of seriousness about nation-building lies in how boldly leaders and citizens commit to shaping the society their children will inherit.