President Akufo-Addo has reiterated his stance to build a Ghana Beyond Aid.

The president's Ghana Beyond Aid agenda officially launched in 2019 is designed to create a "prosperous and self-confident Ghana that is in charge of her economic destiny; a transformed Ghana that is prosperous enough to be beyond needing aid, and that engages competitively with the rest of the world through trade and investment".

In his inauguration speech as President of the Republic of Ghana Thursday, he indicated that the overall effect of Covid-19 across the world and Ghana's response to it has underscored the need for the country to be self-sufficient.

“The arrival of Covid-19 drove home the lesson to all of us that we have to be self-reliant. The pandemic has emphasised the fact that we cannot continue to be living on edge in a day-to-day economy.

"This is dangerous for our survival, and it is important that we set up buffers of protection in all aspects of our lives”.

The President stated that “the enterprise of the Ghanaian shone through” at a time when there was a shortage in the supply of personal protective equipment and they were being sold at extortionist prices on the world market.

In view of that, the President believes that combining the ingenuity of young Ghanaian entrepreneurs with the digitization of our economy will deliver the Ghana Beyond Aid dream he envisions for the country.

“We can, indeed, build a Ghana Beyond Aid, if we make full use, as we must, of the enterprise and ingenuity of our people, especially our young people.

"The prominent role being played by young people in the digitisation journey of our nation is strong proof of the feasibility of this objective.

In conclusion, Akufo-Addo’s stated that his “boundless confidence" in the energy of the Ghanaian makes him believe that "we can become the prosperous nation we aspire to, and soon".