President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, has called for urgent and decisive action to advance Africa’s economic sovereignty, urging leaders to move beyond prolonged discussions and fast-track the implementation of key continental frameworks.
Delivering his closing remarks at the Accra Reset side event, “Accra Reset’s Addis Reckoning”, Mahama outlined proposals aimed at strengthening Africa’s economic independence. Central to his address were calls for:
Establishing conflict-free mineral certification regimes.
Promoting deeper regional value addition.
Reinforcing pan-African payment and financial systems to facilitate intra-continental trade.
The high-level forum, held on the margins of the African Union’s 39th Assembly of Heads of State and Government, brought together government officials, private sector actors, development partners, and civil society representatives. The gathering aimed to chart an action-driven roadmap toward shared prosperity across the continent.
Mahama stressed that Africa’s growth must be anchored in:
Competitive local industries
Transparent resource governance
Stronger value chains
He emphasized the need to move from policy dialogue to measurable implementation, noting that several transformative frameworks have remained stalled despite years of deliberation.
According to Mahama, Africa’s mineral wealth, if properly certified and managed under conflict-free regimes, can serve as a powerful lever for sustainable development rather than a trigger for instability. He also advocated for strengthening pan-African payment systems to reduce dependence on foreign currencies and improve the efficiency of cross-border trade.
The Accra Reset initiative seeks to reframe Africa’s development conversation by prioritizing:
Self-reliance
Industrial transformation
Strategic economic cooperation among member states
Participants at the forum echoed the need for coordinated political will, private sector participation, and institutional reforms to drive the continent’s economic reset agenda.
The event concluded with a renewed commitment among stakeholders to translate policy proposals into concrete actions, signaling what organizers described as a critical reckoning moment for Africa’s economic future.
