Mahama: Africa Must Adapt or Fall Behind in Rapidly Changing World

President John Dramani Mahama has underscored the urgent need for African states and their leaders to adapt to rapidly evolving global trends, warning that the continent risks being left behind if it fails to act decisively.

Speaking at the Accra Reset High-Level Addis Convening in Ethiopia on Saturday, February 14, President Mahama outlined a series of global shifts that, in his view, demand renewed strategic thinking and coordinated action across the continent.

He noted that the international system that has shaped global economic and political relations for decades is undergoing profound transformation—requiring African governments to rethink development models, governance structures, and policy priorities.

“Africa has reached a turning point we cannot afford to ignore. In an era where old assumptions no longer hold true, supply chains are fractured, finance is cautious, technology outpaces our laws and regulations, the stale mantra of development cooperation has lost its flavour, and there are tectonic shifts in the global rules that shaped our world over the last eight decades.”

President Mahama stressed that these global disruptions present both risks and opportunities. While technological change, shifting trade dynamics, and new financial realities may challenge traditional growth pathways, he argued that they also offer African economies a chance to reposition themselves through innovation, deeper regional integration, and stronger institutional reforms.

The former president is in Addis Ababa for the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, where African leaders are expected to deliberate on security, economic resilience, and the continent’s role in an increasingly multipolar global order.

— Citi Newsroom