President John Mahama has urged African nations to make significant investments in industrial capacity, skills, and unity, cautioning that if they do not take immediate action, the continent runs the risk of underdevelopment in a rapidly shifting global economy.
Addressing global political and business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, January 22, President Mahama said the world was entering “an era where countries must compete, innovate, and build or be left behind ”.
He claimed that the increasing number of young people in Africa was keeping a close eye on developments and growing impatient.
“Our young people are watching. They’re brilliant, they’re hungry, and they’re running out of patience,” the President told the gathering.
In order to guarantee the future of the continent, President Mahama listed five important goals that he feels African leaders should prioritise.
First, instead of focusing only on education, he stated, it is necessary to invest in skills that directly address the real economy.
“We must invest in skills. Not just education, but skills that match real jobs in the real economy,” he said, pointing to digital skills, green energy skills and manufacturing skills as critical areas. According to him, Africa needs “a generation of young Africans who can build, not just consume ”.
Second, claiming that no nation can prosper on its own, the President called on African nations to cooperate in order to industrialise.
“No African country can industrialise alone,” he said, calling for regional prosperity platforms, shared manufacturing zones, energy grids and digital infrastructure that can give businesses the scale they need and workers better opportunities.
A unified African front in international discussions, particularly on trade, minerals, and climate funding, was another demand made by President Mahama.
“When we bargain separately, we’re weak. When we negotiate together on minerals, trade, and climate finance, we’re formidable,” he said, adding that unity must go beyond rhetoric. “Unity should not be a slogan; it must be the strategy.”
Additionally, he stated that it is crucial to produce essential items domestically in order to lessen 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 said.
He rejected the idea that industrial policy is outdated, noting that “industrial policy isn’t old-fashioned. It is what will make us survive ”.
Lastly, the President stressed the necessity of responsibility and transformation in African nations, cautioning that poor systems and corruption erode trust and 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 said.
credit;myjoyonline
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