UNGA @80: Africa needs a reset – Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has urged African leaders to embrace bold reforms, saying the continent must “reset” its priorities to deliver lasting benefits for citizens.

Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, Mahama emphasized that Africa’s future lies in its own hands.

“A lot of responsibility rests on the shoulders of Africa itself. We need a reset in our countries,” he said.

The President explained that the reset agenda should not be confined to political rhetoric but must reflect practical reforms.

“We must look forward into the future and see what models we can adopt going forward,” he told the gathering of African leaders.

Mahama highlighted Ghana’s domestic reforms as an example of how countries can realign resources to national priorities.

He pointed to changes made in health financing after his government lifted a cap on the National Health Insurance Levy.

“When we uncapped the fund, it resulted in additional revenue of about $300 million into the national health insurance scheme. You can imagine what $300 million can do,” he said.

According to him, the reform closed funding gaps previously covered by development partners. “Immediately, we were able to cover the USAID gap in funding so that the programs they supported could continue,” Mahama noted.

He added that the policy was proof that African governments can achieve more by redirecting resources from non-essential areas into critical sectors.

Mahama also warned that reliance on outdated international systems was no longer sustainable.

“Multilateralism is going out of date. We must take responsibility for our own growth and development,” he said.

The Ghanaian leader has consistently promoted his “reset agenda,” both domestically and abroad, as a call for fiscal discipline, innovation, and prioritization of public welfare.

At home, his government has pushed reforms in health, education, and economic management, all framed as steps toward a comprehensive reset of governance.

“Resets are about innovative thinking,” Mahama stressed. “It depends on us as leaders to move resources into areas that have tangible benefits for our people.”