President John Dramani Mahama has rejected concerns that a more prosperous and self-reliant Africa could pose a threat to the rest of the world, saying the continent’s economic advancement would instead contribute to global prosperity.

He said Africa must now move beyond the political liberation struggles championed by its founding leaders and confront what he described as the economic struggle confronting the current generation.

President Mahama made the remarks in an interview with TRT World on Friday, August 21, 2026, during which he called for a fundamental shift in Africa’s engagement with the international community.

‘Not a threat to anybody’

President Mahama was emphatic that Africa’s pursuit of economic prosperity should not be viewed as a zero-sum proposition in which the continent’s gains would come at the expense of other regions.

“Africa's prosperity is not a threat to anybody,” he said.

He suggested that the economic transformation of African countries would have wider benefits, creating stronger markets and new opportunities while enabling the continent to address longstanding challenges.

His comments come amid growing calls across Africa for greater economic self-reliance, increased local value addition and stronger African participation in decisions concerning the continent’s resources and development.

For President Mahama, the next chapter of Africa’s transformation is, therefore, not simply about political independence but about acquiring the economic strength and negotiating power necessary to determine the continent’s place in the global order.

Partnerships, not dependency

President Mahama stressed that his call for greater African self-reliance should not be interpreted as a rejection of international cooperation.

Rather, he said, Africa should engage its international partners from a position that gives it greater influence over the terms of cooperation and the use of its resources.

"We don’t reject partnerships, but those partnerships must be on our terms," he said.

For the president, the objective is to build an Africa that can determine its own development priorities while continuing to engage constructively with the global community.

He said a stronger African voice would enable the continent to participate more effectively in decisions shaping the global economy and its own future.

“Africa cannot continue to be a dependent continent. There are things we can do so that we are able to have a better voice in global affairs,” he said.

From political to economic liberation

According to President Mahama, the priorities confronting African leaders today are different from those faced by the continent’s independence-era leaders.

He cited Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and other African leaders who led the struggle for political independence, saying the continent had now entered another phase of its development.

“The challenge that us leaders of Africa today face is not the liberation struggle that was fought by Kwame Nkrumah and our forebears. It is the economic struggle,” he said.

He argued that African countries must therefore strengthen their economies, increase their influence in international affairs and reduce their dependence on external support.