President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that steps are underway to train and certify a pool of skilled professionals who will serve as Africa’s negotiators in engagements and agreements with other countries.
Speaking at the Accra Reset High-Level Addis Convening in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Saturday, February 14, President Mahama explained that technical preparations for the initiative have already begun.
The programme, he indicated, is intended to strengthen Africa’s bargaining capacity and ensure that countries on the continent secure fair value in trade, investment, and financial arrangements with external partners.
He stressed that for many years, African states have often entered complex international agreements without sufficient technical expertise at the negotiating table, a gap he believes must now be urgently addressed.
According to President Mahama, building a new generation of well-trained negotiators will help African governments better handle discussions involving natural resources, emerging technologies, and sophisticated financing structures.
“On negotiating power, it is said that surety depends on the people manning the gates. Technical work has begun on our Sovereign Negotiators Certification Programme, activating a generation of deal makers who can navigate technology agreements, mineral contracts and complex financing with confidence.”
President Mahama noted that strengthening negotiation capacity forms part of a broader effort to reposition African economies in a rapidly changing global environment.
The president further urged African leaders to remain dynamic and responsive to global trends, warning that failure to adapt could limit the continent’s growth prospects.
He encouraged governments to align policies with shifting economic realities, technological change, and new geopolitical dynamics in order to secure sustainable and inclusive development.
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