Mahama unveils new deal with global philanthropy

President John Dramani Mahama presented Ghana's new strategy for engaging with global philanthropy at a high-level meeting in New York. He urged a shift from short-term, uncoordinated interventions to partnerships that strengthen national institutions, build local capacity, and prioritize development outcomes. The discussion brought together 20 major philanthropic organizations and foundations, including the Gates Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Rockefeller Foundation, Hilton Foundation, and Ford Foundation.

The President emphasized that the evolving global development landscape offers an opportunity for Ghana and other Global South countries to rethink their relationship with international partners. He argued that the focus should not be solely on finding new funding sources, but on developing the institutional capabilities that empower countries to take greater control of their development.

Mahama highlighted the importance of strong institutions capable of executing programs, managing resources, and negotiating effectively. He also stressed the need for programmes that can attract the right forms of finance and systems for proper accounting and result evaluation. Ghana's Accra Reset, he explained, is based on the principle that sovereignty must be matched by the ability to exercise it.

The President urged Ghanaian governments to have clearer priorities, better coordination, stronger financial management, and institutions capable of delivering measurable results. At the same time, he challenged international partners to consider whether their approaches sufficiently support the strengthening of national institutions and provide them with greater autonomy.

Mahama noted that philanthropy can play a unique role in supporting areas that traditional development finance and commercial capital may not readily fund, such as institutional capacity building, early-stage program development, public goods, social priorities, and evidence generation.