Former South African President, Jacob Zuma has called on African nations to chart a path of economic independence by leveraging their own resources and deepening cooperation within the BRICS bloc.

Delivering the Annual Leadership Lecture at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA, Mr. Zuma said Africa’s over-reliance on Western powers had yielded little benefit, arguing that the continent must now assert control over its resources and destiny.

“BRICS, in my view, is a party that we need to look at. We have, with the Western countries, been around for centuries… but they will never help you. They will teach you their English, that’s all. But they would not go further than that in any way,” he told the packed auditorium," he said on Monday, August 19.

He added that the moment had arrived for Africa to stand on its own, insisting that countries must collaborate to sell their resources on their own terms.

“We need to stand on our own. It is my belief that that time has come. We have every possibility now to be ourselves, to be together, to use our resources ourselves, sell it to those who buy it. It is us and nobody else,” Jacob Zuma stressed.

The UPSA Annual Leadership Lecture is a flagship event that brings together global leaders, policymakers, academics, and students to engage on critical governance and development issues.