Africa-Press – Ghana. President John Dramani Mahama has called for renewed Pan-African unity and economic transformation as Accra hosts the 80th anniversary of the Fifth Pan-African Congress, a gathering that brings together leaders, scholars, and activists to reflect on the continent’s journey and chart its future.
Delivering the keynote address at the historic commemoration, President Mahama described the 1945 Manchester Congress as a pivotal moment that accelerated Africa’s liberation struggle and laid the ideological foundation for independence movements across the continent.
He honoured the contributions of towering figures such as Ghana’s first President Kwame Nkrumah, Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta, African-American scholar W.E.B. Du Bois, Trinidadian intellectual George Padmore, and Jamaica’s Marcus Garvey, whose vision and activism shaped the course of African history.
The President bemoaned the fragmented voices and competing national interests that had historically weakened Africa’s position in global forums and negotiations.
He called for coordinated diplomatic strategies, unified positions on critical issues affecting the continent, and the building of institutional mechanisms that allow Africa to negotiate as a bloc rather than as 54 separate nations.
“This unity is essential for securing fair terms in trade agreements, climate finance commitments, debt restructuring negotiations, and reform of international financial institutions that continue to disadvantage African economies,” he said.
He stated that Africa must speak with one voice to secure its dignity and prosperity on the world stage, adding that “Africans will determine Africa’s destiny through unity, courage and creativity.”
He also urged his fellow Heads of State to uphold transparency in public administration, eschew corruption in all its forms, protect constitutional order against authoritarian backsliding, and work collectively to silence the guns and resolve conflicts that continue to destabilize regions of the continent.
He argued that Africa’s development agenda could not succeed amid political instability and that strong, accountable institutions were prerequisites for sustained economic growth and social progress.
He stated that the contemporary challenges facing Africa centred on economic transformation, technological sovereignty, climate justice, democratic accountability, and the full and effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which he described as essential to unlocking the continent’s economic potential.
President Mahama noted that while the continent remained extraordinarily rich in natural resources, human capital, and cultural wealth, it faced persistent challenges, which undermined its economic transformation.
They include unacceptably high youth unemployment, severely limited intra-African trade that kept the continent fragmented, and acute vulnerability to climate change impacts despite contributing minimally to global emissions.
President Mahama noted that addressing those contradictions required stronger regional integration, improved governance structures, and a fundamental shift in how African nations relate to each other economically.
He challenged delegates to move beyond commemorative rhetoric and produce concrete commitments, actionable frameworks, and measurable outcomes that would mark the 80th anniversary not merely as a moment of reflection but as a catalyst for accelerated progress.
The Accra gathering brings together government officials, civil society representatives, diaspora leaders, and youth activists from across the continent and beyond, creating a multigenerational dialogue on Pan-Africanism’s evolution and relevance.
The conference is expected to produce a communiqué outlining priorities and commitments for the next phase of continental cooperation, ensuring that the spirit of Manchester 1945 continues to inspire Africa’s journey toward unity and self-determination.
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