Faced with economic dependencies and rules set by major powers, Africa is seeking to strengthen its institutional autonomy. Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, a member of the Accra Reset Presidential Council, a major international political and economic initiative launched by Ghana to fundamentally reform global health and development governance, advocates for governance shaped by Africans themselves. The goal is to transform the continent’s demographic weight into political influence and economic power.
Africa continues to face dependencies that extend beyond development financing to include governance rules, data ownership, and decision-making mechanisms. According to Olusegun Obasanjo, the continent must move beyond merely implementing decisions made by others and take an active role in shaping international standards and defending its strategic interests.
We saved over a million people, sorry from the scourge of HIV AIDS with the Global Fund.All over the world millions and millions of people were saved.
Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President – Member of the Accra Reset Presidential Council
This ambition is underpinned by a major demographic advantage. With young people estimated to account for 65% of its population, Africa must turn this strength into a driver of influence, wealth creation, and negotiating power, enabling the continent to play a greater role in the global economic order.
And if it has been done before it can be done today. We have to deal with the health. We have just gone through a pandemic, um and we don’t know when another one will come and another one is surely to come. We must be prepared for it.
Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President – Member of the Accra Reset Presidential Council
The proposed solution is based on economic integration driven by African stakeholders, particularly private investors and policymakers. President Obasanjo advocates for autonomous resource governance and greater control over strategic data, particularly health data. The goal is to build balanced partnerships that can finance development without compromising the sovereignty of African states.
