Accra, Ghana – President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, has called on African leaders to shift from being exporters of raw materials to becoming producers of finished goods.
“We must move beyond being exporters of raw material to become producers of finished goods,” he stated.
Speaking on the third day of the African Prosperity Dialogues under the theme “Delivering Africa’s Single Market Through Infrastructure: Invest, Connect, and Integrate,” President Mahama emphasized the need for Africa to process and add value to its natural resources.
“Whether it is cocoa in Ghana, oil in Nigeria, copper in Zambia, or diamonds in Botswana, we must process and add value to our natural resources,” he said.
He stressed that this transformation would not only enhance Africa’s share of global trade but also create sustainable jobs, especially for the youth.
“By so doing, we’ll not only increase our share of global trade, but also create sustainable jobs for our people, especially our young people. And we must indigenize ownership of our natural resources,” he added.
President Mahama highlighted that Africa has access to the capital and technology needed to increase its participation in resource exploitation.
“There’s capital and technology available to us today to increase our participation in the exploitation of our natural resources,” he said.
He urged African leaders to collaborate closely with the private sector to drive industrialization through special economic zones.
“Our governments must therefore work hand in hand with the private sector to drive industrialization through special economic zones that encourage manufacturing and innovation, as well as access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises, which are the backbone of our economies,” he concluded.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh (#RomeoWrites
) / Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 
