By Celestine Avi & Seth Eyiah
Renowned business leader and statesman Sir Sam Jonah has called on African countries to abandon raw material dependency and adopt a bold, self-interested trade strategy to secure long-term prosperity in an increasingly unstable global order.
Delivering the keynote address at the Africa Trade Summit 2026 at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, Sir Sam Jonah says Africa can no longer afford “growth without transformation,” warning that economies built on exports of unprocessed resources remain fragile and vulnerable to global shocks.
According to him, industrialisation must become Africa’s primary shield against economic marginalisation, stressing that value must be created and retained on the continent.
“If Africa continues to export raw potential while importing finished prosperity, we will always sit at the margins of global wealth,” he tells the summit.
Sir Sam Jonah argues that the current global system rewards those who control production, technology and markets, while countries that merely supply raw materials are trapped in low-value chains. He noted that Africa’s cocoa, oil, minerals and agricultural products are often branded and monetised abroad, leaving producing countries with minimal returns.
“Others feast on the value we create. Africa settles for crumbs, and that must change,” he states.
Touching on rising global trade tensions, protectionist tariffs and geopolitical conflicts, Sir Sam Jonah described the world as being in “rupture rather than transition,” urging African states to respond with unity and strategic clarity.
He challenged African leaders to be “unapologetically selfish” in defending the continent’s interests, insisting that self-interest does not mean isolation but empowerment.
“Africa must stop deferring to distant agendas. Being selfish means negotiating firmly, processing our resources locally and insisting on fairness in every deal,” he said.
Sir Sam Jonah highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a critical tool for reshaping Africa’s trade architecture, describing it as the continent’s economic fortress in a divided world. However, he cautioned that the agreement must move beyond paper commitments to full implementation.
“AfCFTA will only work if borders stop slowing trade, standards are harmonised and African goods move as freely as ideas,” he noted.
He also called for deliberate investment in mineral beneficiation, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure and energy, arguing that Africa’s vast mineral deposits and fertile lands should be anchored for industrial clusters across the continent.
Reflecting on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, Sir Sam Jonah stressed the urgency of building local pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, saying dependence on external suppliers poses a strategic risk to Africa’s health security.
“No continent should outsource its survival. Africa must manufacture its medicines, power its industries and finance its own transformation,” he added.
The business leader further urged governments and the private sector to prioritise youth, women and small and medium-sized enterprises, describing inclusive industrialisation as essential to sustainable growth.
He concluded with a call for urgency and unity, warning that delays will only deepen Africa’s vulnerability in the evolving global order.
“The table is already set. Africa must claim its seat, not as a supplier of raw materials, but as a producer of value, innovation and power,” Sir Sam Jonah declared.
The Africa Trade Summit 2026 brings together policymakers, business leaders, development partners and trade experts to chart strategies for strengthening intra-African trade and industrial development.
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Source:
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