Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has reaffirmed President John Dramani Mahama’s recent declaration at the United Nations General Assembly that Africa will play a decisive role in shaping the global future.
According to her, that vision can only become a reality if Africa deliberately builds an inclusive future—one that fully embraces young people, women, and small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs). She cautioned that any development path that sidelines these groups is unsustainable and not one the continent can afford to “sleepwalk” into.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang emphasized that at the heart of the government’s reset agenda is a fundamental shift in Africa’s economic direction: moving from dependency to self-reliance, from fragmentation to integration, and from exporting raw potential to building lasting prosperity at home.
She made these remarks while speaking at the opening ceremony of the Africa Prosperity Dialogue held at the Accra International Conference Centre, under the theme “Empowering SMEs, Women, and Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate, Collaborate, Trade.”
The Vice President noted that while the idea of Africa as a single, integrated economic space remains a powerful and compelling vision, it is still unfinished. She stressed that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides a historic opportunity to unlock shared growth, but its success depends on how well African countries empower their people—especially entrepreneurs, innovators, women-led businesses, and the youth.
She called for stronger collaboration among African states, improved access to finance for SMEs, and deliberate policies that remove barriers to intra-African trade. Professor Opoku-Agyemang also urged stakeholders to invest in innovation and skills development, describing them as critical tools for transforming Africa’s demographic strength into economic advantage.
In her closing remarks, the Vice President encouraged African leaders, the private sector, and development partners to move beyond rhetoric and commit to practical actions that will make Africa’s single market work for all, not just a few. She reiterated that Africa’s future must be built by Africans—confident, capable, and united on purpose.
Story by: George Osei-Akoto Addae (Teacher Kojo) #ahotoronline.com/oseiakotor1@gmail.com