81st UNGA: Africa Will No Longer Be Passive Arena for New Scramble for Resources – Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has warned that Africa will not remain a passive arena for a new scramble for its critical minerals needed for the global green energy transition.

Addressing the UN General Assembly on September 24, 2026, Mahama said Africa does not seek charity but equal partnership anchored in mutual respect.

“Our continent possesses the world’s youngest population, vast arable land, unparalleled cultural vitality, and the critical minerals required to drive the global green energy transition,” he said.

But he stressed that critical mineral extraction must not replicate colonial-era exploitation. “We will process our minerals at home, build local industries, create dignified jobs for our youth, and retain the value of our natural resources,” he said.

He cited the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), whose Secretariat Ghana hosts in Accra, as the engine for intra-African trade and industrial growth.

The President also demanded reform of the international financial architecture, noting that developing nations borrow at interest rates up to eight times higher than industrialised nations and are forced to take on crippling debt to rebuild from climate disasters they did not cause.

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