Ghana's president urges Africa to find solutions at home

African countries still have the most fragile economies in the world. It is imperative for us to construct a better path to position our economies on the lane of sustainable development.

However, the progress cannot be undertaken outside the shores of our borders, that’s coming from the President of the Republic of Ghana.

Speaking at the 5th edition of the Africa CEO forum, President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo expressed dissatisfaction with the over reliance of African countries on countries abroad.

He intimated that over the years, too much of Africa’s development has been centered on aid which are beyond its borders.

"We have constructed a system of dependence that is making us look up to foreign aid to do for basic things,” he stated.

He therefore urged African leaders to put measures in place to move their countries beyond aid. This, he believes will make the continent have a mind of its own.

“We must look within ourselves to find solutions to our problems. The reliance on foreign partners creates an avenue for them to intrude in our dealings.

“We must aim to mobilize human capital, creativity and the entrepreneurial talent of citizens to take us beyond aid,” he noted.

President Akufo-Addo on Africa and globalization

Despite the world being a globalized village, Africa is still not well positioned according to the president of the Republic of Ghana.

Most African countries are raw materials producing economies which are not capable of creating employment among other things for its citizens.

Whatever the external circumstances are, we need to focus on how well Africa can participate meaningfully in globalization.

"Are we in a position to say we have created enterprises that will allow us to sell, to compete? We need to know what we are required to do to be able to produce, to expand, to create work for our young people. We have to find solutions at home to issues of productivity”.

President Akufo-Addo on Free Trade area for Africa.

President Akufo Addo also raised concerns about the need for African countries to trade amongst themselves.

This, he stated has the tendency to provide an avenue for the private sector to thrive.

“Free trade area for Africa is practical and desirable. We are the people who do less trade with ourselves than anyone on the globe. We must promote the regional market.

The economic free trade area is essential to promote the gender of regional integration. I believe it is an area that we must explore to catapult us from poverty to prosperity, he concluded.