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I think that first degree should be basic education, it gave me the armoury to be able to solve all kinds of problems and issues in my life that I knew I could handle
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Veteran Ghanaian musician Ben Brako has argued that a university education should serve as a foundation for lifelong problem-solving rather than simply a pathway to academic credentials.
Speaking in an interview with Kafui Dey, Brako reflected on his years at the University of Ghana, where he studied Agricultural Economics, saying his first degree equipped him with the tools to analyze and solve problems across different aspects of life.
“I think that first degree should be basic education,” he said. “It gave me the armoury to be able to solve all kinds of problems and issues in my life that I knew I could handle.”
Brako explained that although his programme covered a broad range of agricultural disciplines—including crop science, soil science, engineering and animal science—he found himself naturally drawn to economics because it encouraged analytical thinking.
“I enjoyed economics because I could think through it. I could visualize it. I could analyze it without having to just memorise facts,” he said.
The veteran musician admitted he had little enthusiasm for some practical aspects of agricultural science, joking that he refused to participate in exercises that involved putting his hand into a cow’s mouth during animal science lessons.
“I didn’t actually try it. The cow is not my friend. If it decides to clench its teeth, what the hell am I going to do?” he recalled with a laugh.
Beyond academics, Brako said his university years gave him the confidence to pursue songwriting. He formed a campus band called “Agoromba Gudo Reba”, which performed his original compositions at the University of Ghana auditorium.
The experiment proved successful, with several of those songs later making it onto his debut album, Baya.
“It gave me the confidence to start writing my own songs,” he said. “Four or six of the main tracks on Baya were written while I was at the university.”
Brako said the true value of higher education lies not only in acquiring knowledge but in developing the ability to think critically and approach life’s challenges with confidence.
