Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is attracting international attention in 2017 after his remarks on foreign aid during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Accra.
During Macron’s visit to Ghana on November 30, a journalist asks whether France is prepared to increase its support for African countries outside the Francophone bloc. Akufo-Addo responds by challenging what he describes as an assumption that Africa’s development should depend on assistance from Western countries.
The president says Ghana’s primary responsibility is to develop its own economy and institutions rather than build national policies around expected support from France, the European Union or other Western partners. He also promotes his administration’s “Ghana Beyond Aid” vision, which calls for greater economic self-reliance, stronger governance and increased use of Africa’s resources for development.
The video of the exchange spreads rapidly across social media, attracting millions of views and reactions from audiences across Africa and beyond. International media outlets also report on the remarks as the message resonates with discussions about Africa’s relationship with foreign aid and development assistance.
The moment places Ghana at the centre of an international conversation about African economic independence and development policy.
