Africa does not need handouts - President Akufo-Addo to global leaders
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called for a restructure of the global socioeconomic architecture in a manner that empowers Africa by encouraging inclusive development to end the continent’s marginalisation on the global stage.
Speaking at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, he lamented that the world had become a stark contrast of privilege and hardship where the voices of those marginalised and left behind, have been drowned even though they constitute the bulk of humanity, stressing; “Africa, in particular, knows the cost of being left out.”
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“Yes, we are a continent rich in potential and resilient in the face of adversity, but we have also been disadvantaged by a global system that has generally treated us as an afterthought. We have been viewed merely as passive recipients of aid rather than as equal partners in global progress,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo further stated that the well-meaning promises of assistance had failed to materialise and bring about the long-term change the continent so passionately needs.
Even when offered, he said that such aid often comes with strings attached, limiting Africa’s ability to shape its own future.
The President, therefore, emphasised that Africa was not a continent of despair but rather full of great possibilities that needed to chart a new course of development.
“Our young population is filled with energy, creativity, and ambition. The people of Africa are not asking for handouts. They are demanding opportunities in a new global architecture so they can have access to education, healthcare and jobs to be able to build better lives for themselves, their families, and their descendants,” he said.
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“In Ghana, we have taken bold and decisive steps to ensure that no one is left behind in our national development, and we have shown that it is possible,” President Akufo-Addo added.