By Ashiadey Dotse
President John Dramani Mahama has called on African leaders to move beyond isolated national reforms and work together to reset the entire development system of Africa and the Global South.
He made the call while speaking at the Davos Convening in Switzerland on Thursday, January 22, 2026, held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.
President Mahama said the global multilateral system created after the Second World War is breaking down, with countries now acting mainly in their own interests. He noted that Africa has suffered for decades from conflict, poverty and overdependence on aid, and must now take responsibility for shaping its own future.
According to him, global humanitarian assistance is shrinking, while many developed countries are cutting overseas aid and increasing defence spending. He described this as a clear signal that Africa must “pull itself up by its own bootstraps”.
President Mahama said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed deep global inequalities, stressing that Africa was the last continent to receive vaccines. He said millions of Africans could have died if not for the natural resilience of the population.
He used Ghana as an example of what focused and accountable leadership can achieve. President Mahama said Ghana has recorded an economic turnaround, moving from a debt-distressed economy to one with single-digit inflation, a stronger currency and improved business confidence.
He explained that the government has cut waste, reduced the size of government to 58 ministers, digitised public services to fight corruption, renegotiated debt and invested in skills for young people.
However, the President stressed that Ghana’s success alone is not enough.
“We must knit together the patchwork of success stories across Africa and scale them up,” he said, adding that Africa must move from resetting one country to resetting the entire development model.
President Mahama warned that many African countries are caught in what he described as a “triple dependency” — dependence on others for security, donors for health and education, and foreign companies to extract Africa’s minerals without adding value.
He called for African countries to negotiate together on critical minerals, industrial policy, climate finance and trade, saying unity must be Africa’s strategy, not just a slogan.
The President also urged African leaders to invest in practical skills, build regional manufacturing hubs, produce vaccines and medicines locally, and hold themselves accountable to their people.
President Mahama concluded by saying Africa is not asking for charity, but for partnerships based on mutual respect, adding that the next chapter of global progress can be written in African cities if leaders have the courage to act together.
