President John Mahama has called on African countries to invest boldly in skills, industrial capacity and unity, warning that the continent risks underdevelopment in a fast-changing global economy if it fails to act decisively.

Addressing global political and business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, January 22, President Mahama said the world was entering “an era where countries must compete, innovate, and build or be left behind ”.

He said Africa’s growing youth population was watching closely and losing patience with slow progress.

“Our young people are watching. They’re brilliant, they’re hungry, and they’re running out of patience,” the President told the gathering.

President Mahama outlined five key priorities he believes African leaders must focus on to secure the continent’s future.

First, he said, the need is to invest in skills that respond directly to the real economy, rather than education alone.

“We must invest in skills. Not just education, but skills that match real jobs in the real economy,” he said, pointing to digital skills, green energy skills and manufacturing skills as critical areas. According to him, Africa needs “a generation of young Africans who can build, not just consume ”.

Secondly, the President urged African countries to work together to industrialise, arguing that no single country can succeed on its own.

“No African country can industrialise alone,” he said, calling for regional prosperity platforms, shared manufacturing zones, energy grids and digital infrastructure that can give businesses the scale they need and workers better opportunities.

President Mahama also called for a united African front in international negotiations, especially on trade, minerals and climate finance.

“When we bargain separately, we’re weak. When we negotiate together on minerals, trade, and climate finance, we’re formidable,” he said, adding that unity must go beyond rhetoric. “Unity should not be a slogan; it must be the strategy.”

Furthermore, he said, the importance of producing key goods locally is to reduce dependency on external markets.

“From vaccines to semiconductors to solar panels, if we don’t make it, we’ll always be dependent on someone who does,” President Mahama said.

He rejected the idea that industrial policy is outdated, noting that “industrial policy isn’t old-fashioned. It is what will make us survive ”.

Finally, the President mentioned the need for accountability and reform within African states, warning that corruption and weak systems undermine confidence and investment.

“We cannot ask the world to invest in us if we tolerate corruption, waste, and systems that don’t work. reset means reform. And reform means results,” President Mahama said.