At a high-profile panel discussion at Ruptures and Ramparts, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa painted a bold new vision for Ghana’s future.
With passion and conviction, he declared that by 2030, Ghana would cease entirely the export of raw materials, a transformative step toward adding value to its rich natural resources and achieving true resource sovereignty.
Mr. Ablakwa’s message was clear: it is time for Ghana, and indeed Africa, to look within. “With all your gold, your diamond, your bauxite, your cocoa. Waiting for what? Friends? What kind of friendship is that? Look within. Be resilient. Come up with homegrown solutions. Negotiate better, add value,” he urged.
For decades, he lamented, Ghana’s wealth had been siphoned abroad through agreements that left the country with only a small share of the returns. In the gold sector, he noted, Ghana retains just 10% of the value, while the rest flows elsewhere. Oil and gas, discovered nearly two decades ago, brings only a modest 15% return.
But change is on the horizon. The government, Ablakwa announced, is now renegotiating all upcoming leases under a new, tougher framework. “We have said that all leases coming up for renegotiation will not follow the same old template,” he emphasized, signaling a break from the past.
Technology, too, plays a pivotal role in Ghana’s new approach. With advances like artificial intelligence and generative tools, he said, countries can now build their own internal capacity, ensuring that natural resources finally benefit the people.
While acknowledging nostalgia for an older order of trust and international camaraderie, Ablakwa insisted that the new era offers Africans an unprecedented opportunity. “Smart leaders must take advantage and create new wealth for Africans. That’s how we see it.”
With 2030 on the horizon, Ghana’s story is shifting, from exporter of raw materials to a nation determined to control its destiny and build prosperity from within.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com