Nico Van Staalduinen
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Nicolaas Corneles Matheas Van Staalduinen | |
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| Born | Nicolaas Corneles Matheas Van Staalduinen January 1, 1958 Leiden, Netherlands |
| Citizenship | Ghanaian |
| Education | Hogeschool Voor Economische Studies (HES), Amsterdam |
| Alma mater | Hogeschool Voor Economische Studies |
| Occupation | Businessman, diplomat, columnist |
| Known for | Public commentary under the pseudonym "Just a concerned Ghanaian" |
| Title | Honorary Consul for Bulgaria in Ghana |
| Spouse(s) | Kayi Sodatonou |
Nicolaas Corneles Matheas Van Staalduinen (born January 1, 1958) is a Dutch-Ghanaian businessman, diplomat, and columnist. A naturalised Ghanaian citizen, he currently serves as the Honorary Consul for Bulgaria in Ghana...[1] He is also known for his public commentary on Ghanaian political and social issues, published under the pseudonym "Just a concerned Ghanaian"[2].
Early life and education
Nico Van Staalduinen was born in Leiden, Netherlands. His formal education began with lower technical training in carpentry and construction, followed by studies at a middle agricultural school and a higher hotel school. He then continued to earn a degree in Economics from the Hogeschool Voor Economische Studies (HES) in Amsterdam . His Ghanaian citizenship was acquired through his marriage to Kayi Sodatonou, a Ghanaian citizen.[2]
Career
Business and Politics
At the age of 21, Nico Van Staalduinen became the secretary for the Dutch political party, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), in the city council of Almere. He participated in drafting the party's 1980 city council election program before temporarily leaving politics to pursue a career in business.
His pursuit of business led to a career in the hospitality sector where he later founded a multinational company for the import, export, and production of poultry and game meat. This company had operations in Europe, Africa, Australia, and South America, and he sold it in 2004. In Ghana, he and his wife built and operated the Dutch Hotel, which was later rebranded to African Royal Beach Hotel[3]. He also served as the Managing Director of the Ghana Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (GNBCC)[4] and was involved in establishing the European Business Organisation (EBO)[5] before it was renamed to EuroCham Ghana in Ghana[6]
Diplomatic and Public Service Roles
Nico Van Staalduinen has held several public and diplomatic appointments. He previously served as the Honorary Consul for Ghana to the Netherlands. In 2017, he was appointed Honorary Consul for Bulgaria to Ghana and officially opened the consulate in Accra on November 1, 2018.[7]
He was appointed to the Board of Directors of the State Enterprises Commission (SEC) of Ghana . He also serves on the International Relations and Trade Committee[8] of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) of Ghana.
Public Commentary
Nico Van Staalduinen gained a public profile in Ghana through his articles published on news websites such as GhanaWeb and Modern Ghana. He is also a co-author of the Bradt Travel Guide on Ghana. He mostly write's, under the name "Just a concerned Ghanaian."[2]
He made international news when he was removed from a KLM flight during a protest against forced vegetarian food on a flight from Accra [9]. One article titled "DOES STAFF WANT TO AND KNOW HOW TO WORK IN GHANA"[10] was cited in a speech by Ace Anan Ankomah and in the inaugural speech of the Former President Akufo-Addo.
Key Themes in Published Articles
His commentary focuses on several recurring topics:
- On Governance and Corruption: In articles such as "Shameful Police corruption" and "Endemic unlimited stealing," he writes about corruption as a pervasive challenge. He has criticised government transparency in pieces like "Government of Ghana lies to farmers"[11] and has questioned the functional effectiveness of Parliament .[12]
- On Ghana's Development and Society: He has argued that societal apathy and laziness pose greater threats to national progress than corruption. He describes Ghana as a "two nations state" marked by stark inequality and criticizes the country's "winner-takes-all" electoral system.[13]
- On Economic and Agricultural Policy: He has written about ambiguities in Ghana’s local content regulations, stating that they deter foreign investment. In agriculture, he advocates for a nationwide transition to large-scale mechanized farming. He has most notably proposed the dissolution of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), arguing its functions should be handled by the private sector[14]
References
- ↑ "Bulgaria – HCCGH Member - Honorary Consular Corps Ghana". 2019-08-20. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Muck Rack | For journalists and public relations". muckrack.com. 2024-09-20. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ↑ "Dutchotel to relaunch after 10-year legal battle". GhanaWeb. 2016-08-15. Archived from the original on 2024-12-27. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
- ↑ "GNBCC | Ghana Netherlands Business and Culture Council". www.gnbcc.net. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ↑ "EBO Worldwide – EuroCham Ghana". Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ↑ Dogbevi, Emmanuel (2015-05-08). "European Business Organisation launched in Ghana". Ghana Business News. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ↑ "Important Information before a trip :: MFA". www.mfa.bg. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ↑ "NDPC". ndpc.gov.gh. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ↑ "KLM refuses two passengers after 'playful action' against meatless flights". Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ↑ "Do staff want to and know how to work in Ghana?". GhanaWeb. 2017-04-04. Archived from the original on 2024-12-17. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ↑ "Government of Ghana lies to farmers". GhanaWeb. 2018-05-30. Archived from the original on 2024-12-17. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ↑ "Shameful Police corruption of the lowest order". GhanaWeb. 2017-07-10. Archived from the original on 2024-12-24. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ↑ "Columnist Nico C.M. van Staalduinen". www.ghanaweb.com. Archived from the original on 2024-12-17. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ↑ "Government of Ghana lies to farmers". GhanaWeb. 2018-05-30. Archived from the original on 2024-12-17. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
External links
This article "Nico Van Staalduinen" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles taken from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be accessed on Wikipedia's Draft Namespace.