President John Dramani Mahama has urged African leaders to place peace, economic stability, and good governance at the center of their development agenda, stressing that these are essential to attracting sustainable investment to the continent.
Addressing the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday, August 21, 2025, President Mahama said Africa’s global competitiveness will not come through wishful thinking, but through deliberate reforms that create a favorable environment for trade and business.
“While partnerships such as those we are forging here at TICAD 9 are important, much of the responsibility lies with African leaders to create conditions that are conducive for trade and investment,” he said.
He emphasized the need for mutually beneficial partnerships, cautioning that Africa cannot rely solely on goodwill. “We wish to partner with any nation of the world on the basis of a win-win. But let us not kid ourselves investment will not come to Africa simply because we desire it. We must undertake the hard and necessary reforms to make Africa an attractive destination,” he added.
Highlighting the importance of peace and stability, President Mahama warned that conflicts and weak governance structures remain major deterrents to investors.
“That is why we must silence the guns and stop the fighting. That is why we must reform our economies to make them stable and predictable. And it is why we must reform governance to ensure accountability and stamp out corruption,” he stated.
