At the time of Ghana's independence in 1957 it was hoped that the country would be the show-piece of African economic development and a model for others to follow. The country was rich in natural resources and human potential but by the late 1980s it was in a serious crisis. The author comprehensively describes Ghana's economic misfortunes, basing his study on extensive data collected from published and unpublished sources during his two-year stay in the country. The causes of economic decline are examined at length by focusing on the planning and management of the economy during the first twenty-five years since independence. M.M.Huq is the author of various articles and books, including Choice of Technique in Leather Manufacture and Machine Tool Production in Developing Countries.