Mahama Tells Developing Countries: We Must Break Away From Foreign Aid

President John Dramani Mahama has urged developing nations to reject dependence on foreign aid, arguing that self-reliance is crucial to bolstering the independence of countries in the Global South. He made this call during a high-level side event at the Accra Reset in New York, where he unveiled a report aimed at reforming global health governance and encouraging self-reliance in the Global South.

Titled A Sovereign Future for Health, the report was produced by a panel of experts from the Accra Reset and is seen as a significant milestone in the agenda.

Despite gaining political independence decades ago, Mahama noted that African countries still face challenges that threaten their sovereignty. He pointed out that while Ghana and other African nations have raised their national flags and sung their anthems, the global system's key levers, including trade, finance, and health governance, remain controlled by external forces.

"We won political independence; we raised our national flags and sang our anthems. Yet, the levers of global trade, finance, and health governance remained firmly anchored elsewhere," he emphasized.

The report outlines a plan for transitioning from policy design to practical implementation, with a particular emphasis on strengthening domestic industrial capabilities, promoting local pharmaceutical production, and establishing state-backed purchasing agreements to stabilize medicine supply chains across Africa and Asia. Mahama highlighted Ghana's own efforts in areas such as local value addition, healthcare investments, and the 24-hour economy, which align with the goals of the Accra Reset initiative.

He reiterated that the initiative aims to foster what he termed "pragmatic interdependence" with international partners, based on equal terms rather than isolation.

Mahama stressed that a self-reliant Southern partner is not a threat to the Global North but, rather, a safer world for everyone. Refuting conventional aid models that offer limited local oversight, Mahama introduced a new framework for development. He outlined his vision of "no ownership without control, and no control without absolute accountability."

Looking to the future, Mahama pledged that Ghana would champion the Accra Reset's transformative agenda during its term as Chair of the African Union in 2027. The launch of the report was attended by a host of high-profile international figures, including former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, UN Under-Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, President William Ruto of Kenya, and billionaire Aliko Dangote.