Never Look Down on People: Lessons from the Bank Square Building in Ghana

In 2024, I had a rare privilege of visiting the new Bank of Ghana headquarters that was under construction at Ridge. At the time of the visit, the project was about 70% complete, and it was a delight to watch. We toured the project with a teammate who explained to us the intricacies of the building and how powerfully it would function when completed.

At the time, the building looked so ordinary and nothing attractive, save for the perceived powerful function it would exude when completed. Even the stairs to the floors were improvised and had to be operated manually by a skilled technician. The site was full of dust, very noisy, and higgledy-piggledy.

But fast-forward to 2025, when the Bank Square building was completed, it won the Office Architecture category of the African Property Awards 2025 at the International Property Awards. According to AFW, at 100m, it is the tallest building of its kind in Ghana, serving as the Bank of Ghana headquarters and the most sustainable EDGE Advanced project of its size in the country.

Woow, this is impressive! The building that looked haphazard just a year ago, stands out today as an award-winning project. The truth is, the ability of the building to become grandeur is inherent in it. It was carefully crafted to function and stand out by the architects and the builders.

Just like the bank square, there are many people who are also work in progress and projects in various stages of completion. Whereas some are at their initial stages, others are about 60% complete hence, they may look like nobody today, unbelonging and unappreciated. But in the fullness of time, when they become complete projects, when they come out of their wilderness experience and are shown to the world, they become a wonder and a beauty to behold. So, never withhold help from people when it is in your power to do so. They may become the next solution the world has been waiting for and the world’s trophy. People’s ability to become great is within them. Greatness is innate and may not be seen physically in the nursing stages, but it is right there. So see people beyond their now and how they currently appear.

In conclusion, let these moral lessons live with you, and just as Jesse Jackson retorted, “never look down on anybody unless you are helping them up”.