By Celestine Avi and Seth Eyiah
President John Dramani Mahama on Friday addressed the Accra Reset side event on the margins of the 39th African Union Summit, calling for decisive action to transform Africa’s economic, health, and trade systems. The President called on African leaders to move from reflection to decisive action describing the moment as a “turning point Africa cannot afford to ignore.”
Speaking at the high-level gathering on February 14, 2026, President Mahama said the Accra Reset is more than a declaration or a discussion platform.
“Accra Reset is an architecture, a framework through which Africa and its partners align finance, health, trade, skills, and technology into a single direction of travel,” he explained. He emphasized that the initiative seeks to translate Africa’s ideas into tangible outcomes, particularly in health, trade, technology, and natural resource management.
Highlighting global health as a key priority, President Mahama announced the creation of a high-level panel on reforming the global health architecture, co-chaired by leading experts including Professor Peter Piot, Honorable Budi Gunadi-Sadikin, Chancellor Elhaj Assay, and Honorable Nisia Trinidadi-Lehman. He emphasized that strong health systems are essential for productivity and stability.
On trade and economic integration, President Mahama highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Hub and the Global Digital Skills Passport, which will allow young Africans’ qualifications to be recognized across the continent and internationally. He also called for the urgent establishment of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, which would allow African SMEs to trade across borders without relying on third-party currencies.
President Mahama used the platform to outline Ghana’s new approach to natural resources and agricultural commodities. He revealed that Ghana will stop relying on foreign funding to purchase cocoa and instead raise domestic bonds, allowing local processors to add value to cocoa beans and other minerals. He stressed that by 2030, no raw mineral ores will leave Ghana unprocessed, a move aimed at creating jobs and fostering industrialization.
“Accra Reset is no longer about ideas alone,” he said. “From Addis, we must stop the talking and start implementing. Our young people need progress and prosperity today, they cannot wait.”
President Mahama acknowledged the contributions of fellow leaders on the Interim Presidential Council of the Accra Reset, including Presidents William Ruto, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Bola Tinubu, Hakainde Hichilema, Félix Tshisekedi, Lula da Silva, and Prime Minister Mia Mottley, praising their commitment to turning vision into action.
Declaring the summit ‘the Addis Reckoning,’ President Mahama urged urgent action, strengthened collaboration, and practical execution to secure Africa’s sovereign prosperity, technological progress, and sustainable development.
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