President John Dramani Mahama has issued a strong caution to African leaders, warning that the continent is struggling with what he described as a deepening crisis of unrealised potential. He made the remarks in a major address to Zambia’s National Assembly on Thursday, February 5, 2026, during an official state visit.
Speaking before a packed chamber on the second day of his three day visit, President Mahama said many African countries remain trapped in a cycle of dependence that weakens the political independence won by the continent’s founding generation. He described this condition as a three layered dependency that continues to limit Africa’s control over its own future.
According to the President, African states are increasingly surrendering key decisions in security to foreign powers, relying heavily on external actors for defence and internal stability. He noted that this dependence has left many nations vulnerable and unable to independently manage their own peace and security priorities.
He further observed that social sectors such as healthcare and education remain largely funded by donor support, a situation he said exposes essential public services to external pressures and uncertainty. In addition, President Mahama criticised the continued export of raw minerals from Africa while finished products are imported at higher costs, arguing that this pattern strips local economies of value and employment opportunities.
“This reality weakens true sovereignty,” President Mahama told lawmakers. “Africa is facing a different kind of pandemic, a pandemic of unfulfilled promise. Millions of young people are unemployed, our health systems remain fragile, and our economies extract wealth without building lasting capacity.”
The President used the occasion to promote the Accra Reset Initiative, a policy framework he recently presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He explained that the initiative is not a call for Africa to turn inward, but rather a demand for practical, transparent and mutually beneficial engagement with global partners.
He said the initiative encourages African nations to make better use of their natural resources and agricultural strengths to drive industrial growth, while moving away from traditional aid based relationships toward partnerships centred on long term investment. President Mahama also stressed the importance of digitalisation, innovation and financial technology as tools for linking African markets and boosting intra continental trade.
Reflecting on Africa’s historical journey, President Mahama noted that while previous generations succeeded in achieving political independence, the responsibility of the current generation is to secure economic transformation. He urged leaders to recognise the urgency of the moment and take bold decisions that place Africa’s development firmly in African hands.
He warned that the need for change has become more pressing as global multilateral systems face increasing strain, with international humanitarian support declining and defence spending rising due to shifting geopolitical realities. According to him, these global changes mean Africa can no longer rely on old development models.
President Mahama concluded by stating that the era of routine development approaches has come to an end, insisting that Africa must move from being a passive participant in the global economy to becoming an active architect of its own growth and prosperity.
