African leaders have issued strong and forward-looking declarations on Africa’s future, urging a decisive shift from dependency to investment-led prosperity, while affirming that the continent is already on an irreversible path of growth and global relevance.
Speaking in Accra at the 4th Edition of the African Heritage Awards, the President of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, reinforced the call for a paradigm shift in how Africa manages its resources and engages with the global economy. He warned that the changing global order, which is marked by declining humanitarian assistance and shifting geopolitical priorities, demands a new strategy from African nations.
“Africa cannot sit with cup in hand and go begging,” President John Dramani Mahama, who was Special Guest of Honour and Chief Host of the event, stated firmly, stressing that the continent must leverage its God-given natural resources, including gold, lithium, oil, and gas, to build sustainable prosperity for its people.
The President criticized past models that allowed vast resource concessions to benefit foreign interests while leaving local populations in poverty, noting that such arrangements are becoming obsolete. “Those days of huge concessions gifted to foreign companies are coming to an end,” he said.
President John Dramani Mahama pointed to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a key instrument for driving intra-African trade and economic integration, noting early signs of progress despite implementation challenges. He also emphasized the importance of leadership, unity, and strategic collaboration across the continent, asserting that Africa possesses the human capital and intellectual capacity needed to transform its fortunes.
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