‘Stop waiting for handouts’ - Ghana urges Africa to take control of its resources
Key Takeaways
- Ablakwa called on Africa to move away from foreign dependence and pursue greater resource sovereignty.
- Ghana aims to stop exporting raw cocoa, gold and bauxite by 2030 and increase local processing.
- Ablakwa revealed that Ghana's Cabinet has considered BRICS membership and is taking a “very positive view” of it.
Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa called for greater resource sovereignty, stronger intra-African trade and new partnerships as Ghana considers BRICS membership.
Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has called on African countries to reduce their dependence on foreign support and take greater control of the continent's natural resources.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, Ablakwa argued that Africa's natural wealth should allow the continent to move away from relying on external assistance.
“You cannot be the most blessed continent in the world and still be dependent and waiting for handouts from outside,” Ablakwa said.
He said Ghana plans to stop exporting raw materials, including cocoa, gold and bauxite, by 2030 and instead increase domestic processing.
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“We are going to add value. We are going to industrialise and make sure that we have resource sovereignty,” he stressed.
Ablakwa also called for a rethink of Africa's relationships with its longstanding international partners.
“This business of, ‘These are my traditional allies. These were our colonial masters. These are the people who have always been with us’ - it doesn’t work,” he added, calling instead for “win-win partnerships” without exploitation or conditionalities.
He also revealed that Ghana's Cabinet had recently discussed possible membership of BRICS.
“Let me disclose that our Cabinet has considered BRICS membership recently, and we are taking a very positive view of BRICS. So a lot is changing,” he continued.
Ghana hosts the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat in Accra.
Ablakwa said intra-African trade remains at around 14%, arguing that increasing trade between African countries could help reduce dependence on external partners.
The exact date of filming could not be independently verified.
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This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
