President John Mahama has called on African nations to assert sovereignty over their natural resources to fund development and safeguard the well-being of their citizens.

Speaking at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, September 25, President Mahama warned that Africa could no longer depend on dwindling aid flows from global partners.

“An increasingly insecure world is witnessing upward spending on defence budgets of bilateral partners and steep cuts in Official Development Assistance. Since July 2024, there has been a 40% drop in humanitarian aid to Africa,” he said.

He said that in this era of global uncertainty, Africa must look within to mobilise its own resources. “In this era of global uncertainty, Africa must exercise sovereignty over its natural resources to raise the necessary funds to ensure the well-being of its citizens. The days of parcelling out vast concession areas to foreign interests for exploitation must come to an end,” he said.

President Mahama clarified that Africa would continue to welcome foreign investment, but only under fairer terms.

“We will continue to welcome foreign investment, but we must negotiate better for a bigger share of the natural resources that belong to us,” he said.

He criticised the stark inequalities surrounding natural resource exploitation on the continent.

“We are tired of the continued image of poverty-stricken, disease-ridden rural communities, living at the periphery of huge foreign-controlled natural resource concession areas.

"We are tired of having people extract the most they can from us and, in return, offer us the very least by way of respect, consideration, and dignity,” he said.

President Mahama also underscored the importance of reclaiming Africa’s narrative on the global stage. “We are tired of not being represented in ways that reveal the richness and complexity of our history or acknowledge all that we have overcome to arrive here, in this liminal space of untold possibilities,” he added.

Quoting Indian-American writer Arundhati Roy, he said: “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”

President Mahama then linked this vision of a new world to the empowerment of women and girls, including his own daughter.

“I want to add that for the sake of Africa, and quite selfishly, for the sake of my 18-year-old daughter, I hope this new world that is arriving is a place of safety and equality for women and girls. To succeed, we must empower everyone, including women and girls, to reach their full potential,” he said.