President of the Republic of Ghana H.E John Dramani Mahama has outlined Ghana’s priorities for its upcoming chairmanship of the African Union, promising to use the position to push for deeper continental integration, expanded intra-African trade and stronger efforts to address conflicts across the continent.
Speaking at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, September 24, 2026, President Mahama said Ghana would assume the AU chairmanship in January 2027.
He said Ghana intended to use the position to champion continental integration and accelerate implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“We intend to use our AU chairmanship to champion continental integration, accelerate the implementation of the African continental free trade area, push for peace and security in all the conflict zones of Africa,” he said.
President Mahama also said Ghana would work to ensure that Africa speaks on the global stage with “one resolute, undivided, and confident voice.”
The President’s announcement comes as Ghana prepares to mark another major milestone in 2027.
He noted that Ghana would celebrate its 70th anniversary of independence in March 2027, marking seven decades since it became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence from colonial rule.
President Mahama connected Ghana’s forthcoming AU role to the country’s historical contribution to African liberation and Pan-Africanism.
He invoked the legacy of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who famously argued at independence in 1957 that Ghana’s independence would be meaningless unless it was linked to the total liberation of Africa.
President Mahama said that principle remained relevant to Africa’s contemporary challenges.
He argued that Africa’s future required greater integration, stronger economic cooperation and a unified voice in global affairs.
Ghana’s planned AU agenda also comes against the backdrop of President Mahama’s broader “Accra Reset” push, which has sought greater African self-reliance and a stronger voice for the Global South in international economic and health governance.
The President said Ghana’s upcoming leadership of the continental body would therefore be an opportunity to advance practical solutions to Africa’s economic, security and integration challenges.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/ Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭