President John Mahama has urged African nations to make significant investments in skills development, industrial capacity and continental unity, cautioning that failure to take decisive action could leave Africa underdeveloped as the global economy rapidly transforms.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, January 22, the President warned that the world was entering “an era where countries must compete, innovate, and build or be left behind”.
He noted that Africa’s expanding youth population was closely monitoring developments and growing impatient with the pace of advancement.
“Our young people are watching. They’re brilliant, they’re hungry, and they’re running out of patience,” President Mahama told the gathering.
The President presented five critical priorities that he said African leaders must address to guarantee the continent’s future prosperity.
He emphasised first the necessity of investing in practical skills aligned with real economic needs, not merely general education.
“We must invest in skills. Not just education, but skills that match real jobs in the real economy,” he stated, highlighting digital competencies, green energy expertise and manufacturing capabilities as essential focus areas. He said Africa required “a generation of young Africans who can build, not just consume”.
The President further called on African nations to pursue collective industrialisation efforts, maintaining that individual countries cannot achieve success in isolation.
“No African country can industrialise alone,” he declared, advocating for regional prosperity platforms, shared manufacturing zones, energy grids and digital infrastructure that can give businesses the scale they need and workers better opportunities.
President Mahama stressed the importance of presenting a unified African position in global negotiations, particularly concerning trade, mineral resources and climate finance.
“When we bargain separately, we’re weak. When we negotiate together on minerals, trade, and climate finance, we’re formidable,” he remarked, insisting that unity must transcend mere words. “Unity should not be a slogan; it must be the strategy.”
He also underscored the critical nature of local production of essential goods to decrease reliance on foreign markets.
“From vaccines to semiconductors to solar panels, if we don’t make it, we’ll always be dependent on someone who does,” President Mahama stated.
He dismissed suggestions that industrial policy was obsolete, asserting that “industrial policy isn’t old-fashioned. It is what will make us survive”.
The President concluded by highlighting the necessity for accountability and reform across African states, warning that corruption and ineffective systems erode confidence and deter investment.
“We cannot ask the world to invest in us if we tolerate corruption, waste, and systems that don’t work. Reset means reform. And reform means results,” President Mahama stated.