President John Dramani Mahama has declared that Africa will play a defining role in shaping the world’s future.
He stressed that the continent’s demographic growth, resilience, and untapped potential made it central to global peace, development, and economic transformation.
President Mahama, delivering a speech at the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, reminded world leaders that although Africa’s contribution as the founding of the UN in 1945 was “minimal and relatively insignificant,” the global order had changed.
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He said: “According to this organisation’s own projections, by the year 2050, more than 25 percent of the world’s population is expected to come from the African continent. Additionally, by 2050, one-third of all young people, aged 15 to 24, will be residing on the African continent,” he stated.
“So, you see, the future is African. Allow me to say this once again, a little louder for the people in the back. The future is African!” President Mahama said, drawing a resounding applause from the world leaders.
President Mahama noted that Africa was already a catalyst for human potential, economic reform, and ecological stability.
He challenged lingering biases rooted in racism, colonialism, and imperialism, arguing that such perceptions underestimated Africa’s proven capacity to overcome adversity.
Citing Ghana’s recent economic turnaround, he said his administration’s “reset agenda” had reduced inflation from 23.8 per cent in December 2024 to 11.5 percent in August 2025, while stabilising the cedi, which Bloomberg at one point ranked as the best-performing currency in the world.
He urged the UN to embark on its own “reset agenda,” particularly reforming the Security Council to reflect today’s realities.
“If this were truly the case, a continent as large as Africa with its numerous UN Member states would have at least one permanent seat on the Security Council. Furthermore, veto power should not be restricted to five nations, nor should it be absolute,” he argued.
President Mahama called for a reset of the global financial architecture, removal of the blockade on Cuba, and reparations for slavery and colonialism.
He insisted Africa must gain a greater voice in multilateral financial institutions and exercise sovereignty over its natural resources to fund development.
The President also condemned global indifference to conflicts and humanitarian crises, singling out the war in Gaza and the tragedy in Sudan.
“The crimes in Gaza must stop,” he urged, stressing that migrants and refugees from Africa should not be treated with suspicion but recognised for their contributions, citing examples of distinguished Africans in the diaspora.
On climate change, he highlighted the disproportionate impact on the Global South, despite its lower emissions.
“We cannot normalise cruelty. We cannot normalise hatred. We cannot normalise xenophobia and racism,” President Mahama warned.
The President further expressed hope for a world that guaranteed equality for women and girls, lauding Ghana’s first female Vice President, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, as a symbol of progress.
President Mahama reaffirmed the UN’s critical role as the “proverbial town square of our modern global village,” urging members to protect multilateralism and pursue genuine reform for a just and inclusive world.
GNA
