Apply
Faculty Research

Kwamina Panford, Ph.D.

February 16, 2011 - Kwamina Panford, Associate Professor of African American Studies at Northeastern University. Photographed for Alumni Magazine. PHOTO: Mary Knox Merrill/Northeastern University

Associate Professor of Africana Studies; Cultures, Societies, and Global Studies

Research Topics:

  • Africa/Global Studies: UN, the ILO, the World Bank, the WTO, and the African Union
  • Labor, Development, and Natural Resources
  • Public Policy
  • Ghana’s emerging oil and gas (OG) and other extractive sectors, mainly gold, diamond, timber, and cocoa

Current Research Project:

His latest book:  Africa’s Natural Resources & Underdevelopment: How Ghana’s Petroleum Can Create Sustainable Economic Prosperity (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017) has received excellent reviews in top notch peer reviewed journals and in the popular media including the London, (UK)  based leading Pan-African Magazine, NewAfrican; Ghana’s leading newspapers (Daily Graphic & The Ghanaian Times) and the Herald, Zimbabwe.

Recent News/Publications/Talks:

  • Besides publication of his work in Africa Today and Ghana’s Public Policy Journal (Special Issue on Oil and Gas [OG]) he provided critical input into drafting Ghana’s Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRM Act 815, 2011) and he was a key resource person for developing the curriculum on Ghana’s OG for University of Cape Coast’s new OG Studies Institute.
  • He also led the technical team that wrote Ghana’s first and subsequent Public Interest and Accountability Committee’s (PIAC) Report, 2012. This publication documents Ghana’s petroleum revenues and expenditures to ensure transparency.
  • He has also been responsible for three additional PIAC Reports including one of the latest published in 2018. Thus Panford has led the production of 4 out of 8 PIAC reports for Ghana.  
  • In addition, Panford has used his extensive expertise to assist the Ghana TUC (main national trade union) to produce its first Policy Paper on OG.

Affiliated Research Centers:

Undergraduate Research Projects:

Panford’s passion is successfully placing students in highly competitive, nationally and internationally recognized graduate programs. For instance, he has  successfully mentored and placed students in leading US International Law & Diplomacy Programs, such as the Fletcher School at Tufts University. He also has an impressive record of placing other students in high level positions such as at the White House in the US, with Senior US Diplomats to an oil unit at Aso Roc and the Office of Nigeria’s President.

Past Research Topics:

Will be updated soon