President John Mahama has called on African countries to boldly invest in skills, industrial capacity and unity, warning that unless the continent takes decisive action, it risks falling behind in its development in a rapidly changing global economy.
Addressing world political and business leaders at the Accra Reset Davos event on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on Thursday, January 22, President Mahama said the world is entering an era in which “nations must compete, innovate and build or be left behind.”
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Your Excellency and my esteemed colleagues, friends and partners working on global change.
First, I would like to thank the World Economic Forum for making this session possible, and our various strategic partners, including the African Development Bank, the Global Fund, AfroChampions, Georgetown University, and the Rockefeller Foundation, for stepping forward at a moment when global health development systems are being tested by an atmosphere of turmoil, conflict, and a new intellectual retreat.
Of course, I would like to thank the Guardian Circle of the Accra Reset led by President Olusegun Obasanjo, the African Alliance of Multilateral Financial Institutions, and the Confederation of Indian Industry.
This morning, I stand before you as an African leader born in the turbulent times of post-independence Africa.
Growing up, I could sense my parents and their generation getting excited about the prospect of newfound freedom and the right to manage their own affairs.
My country, Ghana, will celebrate its 70th anniversary of independence from colonial rule in March next year.
We have experienced a lot in a relatively short period of 70 years.
We have seen times of coups and democratic governance. We lived through the Cold War and witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall. We are excited about the arrival of Globalisawon and come together as a global family to tackle the MDGs and climate change.
As I speak to you today here in Davos, one thing is clear. Our world as we know it is at a tipping point. The global multilateral governance system that was widely agreed upon and accepted after World War II is disintegrating.
Bilateral relations between Nawons are increasingly transnational, with many state and non-state actors becoming unilaterally involved in pursuing their own Nawon and local interests.
Africa has lagged behind in the past few decades since its liberation from colonialism, and is mired in cycles of conflict and multifaceted poverty. Africa has prospered because of handouts and humanitarian aid from developed countries.
While the new world system that will emerge has yet to be named, Africa intends to have a seat at the table in determining what that new world order will look like.
Africa must pick itself up by itself.
Humanitarian aid is shrinking worldwide. Many developed countries, including those in Europe, are being forced to cut ODA and increase defense spending due to the new, unpredictable reality of having allies across Atlanta.
The experience with COVID-19 has sounded a wake-up call. Africa was the last continent to begin vaccinations amid the global pandemic. However, given the immunological profile and resilience of African populations, millions would have died in the pandemic.
That is why, Your Excellency, I am very grateful to have WME join us in this Azernoun-Davos meeting of the Accra Reset Iniwave, which will be held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.
Just a few months ago at the United Nations General Assembly, I introduced Accra Reset IniWve. Won, not as another declaration. Not as a wish list. But as a practical answer to the question, millions of young Africans are asking: How should Africa respond in a changing world order?
Today we answer that question in Ghana. We are rebuilding this country, eliminating waste, restoring hope, and building systems that work.
In my first year in office, we have proven that democracy works and that change is possible when leadership is focused and accountable to the people.
From a debt-ridden, crisis-hit economy, we have achieved a remarkable recovery, with a stable macroeconomy characterized by single-digit inflation, a strengthened currency, and improved business confidence.
But this is what keeps me up at night. Ghana’s success alone is not enough.
No matter how great Ghana’s rebirth story is, we cannot become gems in the ground. We must work together as Africa. We must weave together a patchwork of success stories.
That’s why we’re here in Davos. Extending what is working well in many countries in Africa and the Global South to other countries. Moving from restructuring one country to a whole development model.
Let me be frank about what we are up against. Too many countries are stuck in what we call triple dependency.
We depend on others for our security choices We depend on donors for our health and education systems We supply the world’s vital minerals but capture little of their value This is not sovereignty. It’s a trap. And it’s even worse.
Here’s what I learned while trying to find a solution during my quiet time. Crisis creates clarity. What is clear is that we must build our own capacity for action.
There is precedent for what I am proposing.
Twenty years ago, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and several brave world leaders, including President Obasanjo, made the simple but powerful case that HIV/AIDS was killing millions in Africa and required a global response.
This courage created the structure of the Global Fund, which has saved millions of lives in Africa and around the world.
This struggle has been successful because leaders have decided to act with urgency and without making excuses. Today, I’m not so sure.
The United States is cutting off funding to the United Nations Nawon System and other global organizations that have saved millions of lives. We face an unpredictable world.
This is why Africa must take responsibility for its destiny. Today, we face a different pandemic: one of unmet potential.
Millions of young people are out of work. A medical system that collapses at the first crisis. An economy that exploits our resources but doesn’t build anything won’t last long.
If we can rally the world to fight disease, why can’t we rally to fight poverty? How to fight addiction? To fight the systems that exclude bright African youth from the future.
In Ghana, ExecuWon proves something important: trumps excuses. We reined in government spending and reduced the size of our government to an all-time low of 58 ministers and deputy ministers.
We are developing services to end corruption. We are training young people for tomorrow’s jobs, not yesterday’s. We’ve restructured our debt so that we can invest in our employees, not just service loans.
This is the agenda of “Resefng Ghana”. And it’s working because we stopped talking about transformaWon and started building it.
Now imagine this same approach happening in Africa and across the Global South.
Multilateral order and rules-based systems may be under threat, but we can form a new coalition of the willing, based on a common vision and mutual respect.
What if we combined our bargaining power over critical minerals to capture value beyond just extracting the rough?
What if we exercised more sovereignty over our natural resources to create prosperity for our people?
What if we built regional manufacturing hubs that created millions of jobs for young people?
What if we produced our own vaccines, our own medicines, our own technology?
This is the vision of Accra Reset. It’s not a talk shop. We couldn’t win by declaring.
A practical blueprint for countries to work together to build true sovereignty. This can be measured by creating jobs, vaccinating children and developing young people.
Leaders, let me be clear.
In this rapidly changing world, we are entering an era in which countries must compete, innovate, and build to fall behind.
Our young people are watching. They’re good, they’re hungry, and they’re running out of energy.
So what we have to focus on is:
First, invest in your skills. Skills that match real jobs in the real economy, not just educaWon. digital skills. Green energy skills. manufacturing skills. We need young Africans who can not only consume, but also build.
The second is to build together. African countries cannot industrialize on their own. We must build regional prosperity declarations, manufacturing zones, energy grids and digital infrastructure that give scale to business and opportunity to workers.
Thirdly, let’s all come together as one. We are weak when we negotiate separately. We are formidable when we negotiate together on minerals, trade and climate finance.
Unity should not be a slogan. It must be a strategy.
The fourth is to produce at home. From vaccines to semiconductors to solar panels, if we don’t succeed, we will always depend on someone else to succeed. Industrial policy is not outdated. That’s what keeps us alive.
And finally, take responsibility for your employees. We cannot ask the world to invest if we tolerate corruption, waste, and systems that don’t work. Reset means reform. And reform means results.
Davos commitments.
Folks, we didn’t come here to ask for charity. We now propose a global partnership of like-minded people based on a common vision and mutual respect.
Accra Reset is building a new kind of cooperative architecture. Countries in the Global South not only receive programs, but also countries that co-design programs with partners in the Global North. We don’t just attract investment; we shape it based on our priorities.
We want to build a prosperity zone across a regional framework where countries coordinate on investment, infrastructure and jobs.
President Obasanjo Oksen reminds us that “Leadership is a legacy. What do you leave behind?”
My answer is simple. We want to leave a continent where young people don’t risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean because they have opportunities in their own countries.
We want to leave behind a functioning system, a thriving industry, and a towering Nawon. Ghana cannot do it alone. Africa alone cannot do this.
This is a call to all leaders in this room. If you believe in a world of shared prosperity, not just narrow interests, please join us.
If you think the Global South deserves partnership, not pity, join us. If you believe the next chapter of human progress will be written in Accra, Nairobi, Kigali, Abuja and Cairo, please join us.
Accra Reset did not ask for permission. It’s gaining momentum. From New York last September to this room in Davos, to the African Union in Addis Ababa next month, and soon to the Oslo Dialogue.
The question is not whether the world needs this. Winning depends on having the courage to build it.
thank you.
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