President John Dramani Mahama has called on African leaders to shift their focus toward achieving economic independence and shared prosperity for the continent.
Speaking at Kenya’s Jamhuri Day celebrations on Friday, December 12, 2025, Mahama stressed that while earlier generations fought for political freedom, today’s leaders carry the responsibility of securing economic liberation.
“Our forebearers won for us independence. It is the responsibility of our current African leadership to win economic independence and prosperity for our people,” he said.
The Ghanaian President highlighted structural inequalities in the global economic system, noting that Africa continues to function largely as a supplier of unprocessed raw materials and an importer of finished products. This, he argued, undermines the continent’s development potential.
“The time has come for us to add value to our exports… to claim a fairer share of our natural resource endowment… to provide transparent and accountable leadership,” Mahama urged.
He further called for the continent to harness the dynamism of its youthful population and prioritize greater levels of intra-African trade to stimulate growth.
