President John Dramani Mahama has implored world leaders to broaden economic frontiers for the youth at a presidential roundtable in New York on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. The Ghanaian leader said the world must expand digital and structural opportunities as debt pressures and disruptions batter the Global South.
The meeting convened by the Open Society Foundations brought together heads of state, philanthropies and private sector actors under the theme Full Circle: Making Global Development Work Again. Mahama said this is when nations must create jobs, improve public services, build infrastructure and expand opportunity especially for young people. He stressed that Africa already defined its long term trajectory through Agenda 2063 which seeks productive economies, fortified institutions, deeper regional integration and expanded opportunities.
Mahama used the platform to advance the Accra Reset Initiative, a Ghana-led framework anchored on sovereignty, workability and shared value. He explained that sovereignty in this context means the capacity to act, to set priorities, negotiate effectively, mobilise resources and follow through on decisions. The Reset addresses the need for urgency, self reliance and strategic autonomy in a rapidly evolving global environment.
The President outlined Ghana internal reforms needed to exercise greater ownership over its developmental trajectory. He called for stronger coordination across government, better preparation of programs, greater domestic resource mobilisation, sound financial management and institutions that demonstrate clear results. According to President John Dramani Mahama, leveraging capabilities outside government including civil society, business, academia and local communities remains critical if Ghana wants greater room to lead.
He urged international partners and philanthropic organisations to transcend short term programmatic interventions and pivot towards long term capability building. He questioned whether cooperation could do more to build national capability and work through local systems when they meet required standards while reducing duplication but protecting accountability. He noted that foundations should support institutional capability, early programme development, public goods and social priorities in areas where commercial finance is untenable, with successful models integrated into public systems.
Under Ghana system, Agenda 2063 aligns with national policies such as Free SHS policy which expands access to secondary education, CSSPS placement which allocates BECE graduates into senior high schools, and WASSCE grading which determines tertiary progression through 8 grade bands from A1 to F9. Just as Energy Commission licensing regulates electrical and renewable installations and Galamsey laws under Minerals and Mining Act enforce anti illegal mining, the Accra Reset seeks licensing of domestic capacity for sustainable financing.
Source: #Howedey.com
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Author: Korkor Anumu
