President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over Nigeria’s trajectory.
To this end, he revealed that he offers daily prayers for the country to overcome its challenges, while stressing that its stability is critical to the wider West African subregion.
Mahama spoke in Accra at the 4th edition of the African Heritage Awards, where he served as Special Guest of Honour and Chief Host.
Highlighting the deep historical and cultural ties between Ghana and Nigeria, the Ghanaian leader described both nations as inseparable, bound by shared ancestry and longstanding relations.
“Ghana and Nigeria are twins of the same mother, except when we fight over Jollof and football. Otherwise, you know we are the same people,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.
He noted that migration patterns and ancestral links particularly through the Yoruba heritage have further cemented the connection, making Nigeria’s stability a matter of direct concern to Ghana.
“A lot of the people in Ghana migrated from Nigeria. They find their roots in the Yoruba kingdoms and all that, and so Nigeria is of keen security interest to us,” Mahama added.
He underscored the implications of Nigeria’s population size, warning that instability in Africa’s most populous nation could have spillover effects across the region.
“If Nigeria does well, Ghana does well,” he said, adding that “When you have cousins, 250 million of them, you want them to do well so that one million of them don’t come drifting towards a small country like Ghana.”
He said “So every day I wake up, I pray for Nigeria. I say, God, let Nigeria get its act together.”
Mahama also used the platform to call for a fundamental rethink of Africa’s economic model, particularly in the management of its abundant natural resources.
He warned that the global economic order is shifting, with declining humanitarian assistance and changing priorities among developed nations.
The situation, he noted, makes it imperative for African countries to rethink their strategies.
“The world is changing, the global order is changing, and we must adapt. Humanitarian assistance is dwindling, and countries are reducing their official development assistance while increasing defence spending”, he added.
Mahama criticised the long standing practice of granting extensive concessions to foreign companies, arguing that it has perpetuated inequality across the continent.
“Africa cannot sit with a cup in hand and go begging. We didn’t put the gold, lithium, oil, and gas in the ground. God gave it to us”, the President said.
He decried a system that creates “rich enclaves next to African poverty,” where resource wealth coexists with lack of basic amenities such as clean drinking water.
He stressed that such arrangements are no longer sustainable.
According to him, those days are drawing to a close as African countries begin to assert greater control over their resources.
Mahama also pointed to the African Continental Free Trade Area as a key step toward economic integration and shared prosperity, despite initial implementation challenges.
“We started with the African Continental Free Trade Area. We do have teething problems, but it is a good sign, he pointed out, noting that intra African trade is already showing signs of improvement.
He expressed confidence that the continent has the capacity to chart a new path if it leverages its human capital alongside responsible leadership.
“We have some of the best brains and wonderful people. If we get proper leadership and work together, we will be able to make a change in the lives of our people,” he said.
Mahama reaffirmed his belief that Africa’s future lies in unity, effective governance, and a strategic shift from dependency to self driven growth.