President John Dramani Mahama is Ghana’s President
President John Dramani Mahama has called for a fundamental rethinking of global alliances, urging world leaders to adapt cooperation frameworks to the realities of a rapidly changing and interconnected world at World Governments Summit on Tuesday, February 2, 2026, in Dubai.
Here are key highlights of his speech
President Mahama said global alliances must be renewed to remain effective, inclusive, and responsive to today’s interconnected and rapidly changing world.
Shift from rivalry to shared responsibility
He noted that past alliances were driven by geopolitics and competition, while today’s challenges—climate change, food and energy insecurity, terrorism, health crises, technology disruption, and inequality—require collective action.
Alliances of solidarity
President Mahama indicated that future partnerships should go beyond traditional diplomacy and be anchored in mutual respect, shared aspirations, and collective advancement.
Ghana’s diplomatic tradition
He also pointed out Ghana’s legacy of Pan-Africanism under Dr Kwame Nkrumah and its continued role as a bridge-builder in global diplomacy.
“For us in Ghana, this vision is deeply familiar. Our nation was founded on enduring principles of freedom, dignity, and international cooperation. From the Pan-African ideals championed by Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah to Ghana’s contemporary role as a bridge-builder in global diplomacy, we have consistently stood for unity over fragmentation”, he remarked.
Africa’s central role in the global future
He noted that Africa is a continent of solutions and opportunities, with a youthful population, vast resources, innovation potential, and a market of 1.3 billion people.
Moving from aid to investment
President Mahama said Africa’s push for trade, investment, and industrial partnerships, referencing the Accra Reset as a roadmap for a new global economic relationship.
FULL TEXT: What President Mahama said at World Governments Summit in Dubai
He underlined Ghana’s commitment to adding value to minerals and agricultural products and cited the establishment of Goldbod, which has generated over $10 billion in less than a year.
“New alliances with Africa must aim at adding value to Africa’s natural resources. They must aim at granting Africa greater sovereignty and control
of its natural resources. That is why in Ghana we have established the Goldbod that has yielded more than $10 billion in less than a year”, he remarked.
Africa Gulf partnerships
He welcomed growing Ghana/UAE and Africa/Gulf collaborations as key pillars of the emerging global order.
Peace and regional security
Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment through ECOWAS to peace, counterterrorism, and democratic stability, highlighting the January 2026 High-Level Conference on Regional Cooperation and Security.
Governance of emerging technologies
He warned that governance is lagging behind innovation and called for ethical AI governance, cybersecurity cooperation, technology transfer, and inclusive digital development.
Climate justice
President Mahama stressed that Africa, despite contributing least to emissions, suffers most from climate impacts, and called for fulfilled climate finance commitments. He cited the $30 million Ghana-UAE climate grant as a model partnership.
Revitalising multilateralism
He defended multilateralism, urging reforms to make global institutions more representative, fair, and responsive, especially for developing countries.
FULL TEXT: President Mahama’s speech at his maiden media encounter
Vision for the future
President Mahama said global alliances should be about building a world where cooperation outweighs division, development is shared, and nations rise together rather than apart.
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