The Democracy Union of Africa (DUA) has honoured Ghana’s former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his immense contribution to democratic governance in Africa.
He was honoured at a high-level DUA Forum 2025 held jointly with the International Democracy Union (IDU) in Nairobi, Kenya, on 28th October.
Former President Akufo-Addo said he accepted the Great Africa Democracy Award, not as a personal accolade, but as a reminder of the duty to safeguard the ballot as the sole source of legitimate political authority.
He advised future award recipients to use democracy to deliver essential services such as schools, clinics, roads, and jobs because, he warned, “when services fail, democracy’s credibility suffers.”
Former President Akufo-Addo, who delivered a powerful keynote address at the Forum, also challenged African nations to radically shift their strategic posture from dependency to production and from patronage to mutually beneficial partnerships in the new global multipolar order.
The Forum drew political leaders and strategists to discuss governance and democratic leadership.
The Ghanaian delegation at the event included prominent NPP figures like Sammi Awuku, Dr. Stephen Amoah, and Michael Okyere Baafi, who participated in various panel sessions focused on trade, enterprise, and ending dependency.
Former President Akufo-Addo underscored the need for Africa to navigate its strategic position in the world towards equitable and mutually beneficial partnerships.
Democracy is an ‘African Necessity,’ Not a ‘Western Nicety’
At the heart of Akufo-Addo’s message was the insistence that good governance is the foundation of prosperity.
He firmly stated that democracy is not a “Western nicety; it is an African necessity for peace and prosperity”.
Former President Akufo-Addo used his tenure in office, which focused on the vision of “Ghana Beyond Aid”, as a blueprint for genuine continental liberation, anchored in value addition, fiscal credibility, and human capital development.
This model, he argued, shifts countries from dependence to productivity.
Acknowledging the recent setbacks to democracy, Mr Akufo-Addo lamented the military interventions in Mali, Guinea, Niger, Burkina Faso, and, most recently, Madagascar.
He stressed that these unconstitutional changes multiply economic pain, warning, “coups do not solve economic problems… they multiply them.”
Key pillars for strategic leverage
To achieve equitable partnerships, the former President outlined five priority areas for the continent.
They include:
1. Human Capital and Industrialisation: He cited the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy in Ghana as a deliberate, strategic investment in the nation’s most valuable resource.
This was complemented by the One District, One Factory initiative, aimed at moving the economy away from exporting raw materials to adding value domestically.
- Continental Trade: Mr Akufo-Addo highlighted the strategic importance of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), whose Secretariat is located in Accra. He called on leaders to make AfCFTA a “lived reality,” ensuring a trader in Kumasi can sell to Kigali with the same ease as to Koforidua.
- Critical Minerals Value Chain: Africa must move beyond merely shipping raw lithium and manganese, instead demanding refineries, component plants, and equity stakes for host communities.
- Food Security: He noted that targeted input credit, irrigation, and storage, exemplified by Ghana’s Planting for Food and Jobs programme, yield greater returns than import bills.
- Digital Trade and Inclusion: The continent must unlock new micro-exports through interoperable payments and trusted data regimes, ensuring that no partnership is equitable if women and young people remain at the periphery.
Urgent call for global system reform
To sustain development ambition, former President Akufo-Addo made a forceful call for two critical global reforms:
- Global Financial Architecture: He urged a radical reform of the global financial architecture to address debt vulnerabilities and provide developing nations with access to global finance on acceptable terms that do not lead to “stifling debt burdens”.
- UN Security Council: Stating that the UN Security Council “no longer has the capacity” to supervise international peace and security, Mr Akufo-Addo called for its reform to allow Africa to be fully and effectively represented in its decision-making process. He reaffirmed the Ezulwini Consensus as the blueprint for Africa’s contribution to this debate.
A decade of execution and an enduring legacy
Former President Akufo-Addo paid tribute to the late Raila Amolo Odinga, former Prime Minister of Kenya, remembering him as an outstanding champion of Kenyan democracy.
He called for “Africa’s decade of execution”, urging leaders to leave Nairobi with “fewer promises and more plans, fewer declarations and more deals, fewer excuses and more execution.”
By Kyei Boateng
