Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, has charged African nations to prioritise building resilient economies to improve the lives of its citizens after winning the battle for political independence.
He says nations like Ghana, Jamaica and other countries on the African continent need a stronger cooperation to foster sustainable development and shared prosperity after redeeming themselves from colonial rule.
President Mahama, speaking at the Special High-Level Reparations Dialogue at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica on Monday, August 3, 2026, described economic emancipation as the next major challenge facing the aforementioned countries.
He highlighted how ideas and contributions of Pan-African leaders inspired independence movements across Africa and played a significant role in the continent’s liberation.
“I’m happy to have come to Jamaica. We all know the relationships that have existed between Ghana and Jamaica. Indeed, our first President, of blessed memory, had always written and spoken about Marcus Garvey and the influence he had on him.
“Today, all that is history. But that was the fight for liberation,” he said.
Following the independence of both countries, President Mahama stressed the need for Ghana and Jamaica to leverage their relationship to advance economic transformation through greater collaboration and mutual opportunity for the benefit of all.
“But today, we’re faced with a new fight. And that is why the relationships between us and visits like this are important.
“The battle that confronts us now is not the battle for liberation—we’re independent anyway—the battle that confronts us is how we can cooperate to increase our economic development and create prosperity for our people. And so the battle now is the battle for economic emancipation,” he added.
President Mahama also hinted at pushing for the entire Caribbean to be included in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) when he assumes the chairmanship of the African Union in 2027.
