President John Dramani Mahama has called for a new phase of African development centred on economic independence, greater self-reliance and stronger bargaining power in the global economy.
He said Africa’s economic advancement should not be perceived as a threat to other parts of the world, arguing that a prosperous continent would create opportunities and contribute to global growth.
President Mahama made the remarks in an interview with TRT World on Friday, August 21, 2026, where he outlined his vision for a stronger African role in international affairs.
Africa must determine its economic future
According to President Mahama, Africa has successfully moved beyond the political liberation struggle led by independence-era leaders and must now confront a new challenge — achieving economic liberation.
He cited Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and other founding leaders who fought for political independence, saying the circumstances facing the present generation of African leaders require a different form of struggle.
“The challenge that us leaders of Africa today face is not the liberation struggle that was fought by Kwame Nkrumah and our forebears. It is the economic struggle,” he said.
He argued that African countries must build stronger economies, develop their productive capacities and reduce dependence on external assistance if the continent is to have a meaningful voice in global affairs.
‘Africa’s prosperity is not a threat’
President Mahama rejected the notion that Africa’s economic transformation could undermine the interests of other regions.
“Africa’s prosperity is not a threat to anybody,” he stressed.
He said a more prosperous Africa would create larger markets, generate new investment opportunities and strengthen the continent’s capacity to address poverty and other longstanding development challenges.
The President’s comments come amid increasing calls for African countries to add more value to their natural resources, expand domestic production and take greater ownership of their economic development.
Partnerships must be mutually beneficial
While advocating greater self-reliance, President Mahama clarified that Africa should not isolate itself from the international community.
He said the continent would continue to engage development partners, investors and other countries but insisted that such relationships should be structured to serve African interests.
“We don’t reject partnerships, but those partnerships must be on our terms,” he said.
He maintained that stronger domestic economies would give African countries greater leverage when negotiating international agreements and partnerships.
President Mahama also called for measures that would enable Africa to participate more effectively in decisions affecting the global economy.
“Africa cannot continue to be a dependent continent. There are things we can do so that we are able to have a better voice in global affairs,” he said.
He said the continent’s ultimate objective should be to build economies capable of determining their own development priorities while remaining active and constructive participants in the international system.
