Ambition becomes realistic when institutions align – Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama says Africa must reject the false choice between ambition and realism as it charts a new development path.

Opening the Accra Reset “Addis Reckoning” side event ahead of the African Union Assembly in Addis Ababa, Mahama declared that Africa’s transformation depends on institutional alignment and shared execution.

“Excellencies, there is a quiet truth we rarely say aloud,” he said. “For years, Africa’s leaders have been asked to choose between ambition and realism. The Accra Reset rejects that false choice. Ambition becomes realistic when institutions align, partners listen, and execution becomes a shared responsibility.”

The event, hosted on the sidelines of the AU summit, brought together continental leaders and chief executives of private businesses and multilateral organisations to deliberate on Africa’s strategic future under the Accra Reset Initiative.

Mahama linked the Addis gathering to earlier engagements on the continent’s reform agenda.

“We began this dialogue at the Health Sovereignty Summit in Accra. I gave it political voice at the UN General Assembly, tested them in Davos, and today in Addis Ababa, we move into action,” he stated.

He emphasised that reform efforts would not ignore historical setbacks. “Reform will be grounded in knowledge of past failures while animated by future promise,” the President added.

On global partnerships, Mahama pointed to expanding cooperation with Asian economies as part of a broader South-South engagement strategy.

“On Global Partnerships, the New Bandung Spirit is gaining expression. Exchanges with South Korea, Singapore, India, and Indonesia are opening pathways for technological learning and digital trade. AI is becoming embedded in our industrial planning and governance systems,” he said.

The Addis Reckoning event follows Mahama’s earlier announcement that discussions would focus on a proposed framework for free movement and talent circulation backed by a digital passport, technological innovation to maximise value from Africa’s minerals, reform of global health governance, and partnerships with global south pacesetters to harness artificial intelligence.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, Mahama argued that Africa must take charge of shaping an emerging global order, warning against what he described as a “triple dependency” on external security decisions, donor-funded systems and raw material exports.

Saturday’s deliberations in Addis Ababa form part of that broader push, with the Accra Reset Presidential Council and other leaders expected to advance coordinated strategies.