President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned African leaders against what he described as a deepening cycle of dependency on external actors, warning that such reliance does not amount to genuine sovereignty but instead places the continent in an increasingly dangerous position.

Addressing participants at the Accra Reset Convening in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, January 22, President Mahama said Africa is currently caught in what he termed a “triple dependency” that weakens its autonomy and long-term development prospects.

He explained that many African nations continue to depend on external powers for critical security decisions, rely heavily on donor funding to sustain health and education systems, and export vital minerals to the global market without capturing meaningful value from them.

“This isn’t sovereignty. It is a trap. And it is getting worse,” the President told the gathering, stressing that these patterns have entrenched structural weaknesses across the continent.

President Mahama argued that Africa’s path to genuine independence lies in building internal capacity, asserting that moments of crisis should serve as catalysts for decisive action and reform.

“In my quiet moments, as I try to find solutions, here’s what I’ve learned: crisis creates clarity. The clarity is this: we must build our own capacity to act,” he said, urging African leaders to take bold steps towards self-reliance and value-driven development.