President John Dramani Mahama has described Ghanaโs partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a model for the future of global alliances, stressing that such partnerships must be practical, results-oriented, and mutually beneficial.
He disclosed that Ghanaโs newly established Goldbod initiative has generated more than $10 billion in under a year, highlighting it as evidence that well-structured international cooperation can deliver tangible economic gains.
Addressing world leaders at the World Governments Summit 2026 in Dubai, President Mahama said the evolving GhanaโUAE and broader AfricaโGulf partnerships are fast becoming an โimportant pillarโ of the emerging global order, anchored in shared responsibility, economic transformation, and climate action
He argued that traditional alliances, once shaped largely by geopolitical rivalries and military blocs, must now be reimagined to confront borderless challenges such as climate change, food and energy insecurity, fragile supply chains, and widening inequality.
โThe alliances of the future must be rooted in shared responsibility and based on our common destiny,โ President Mahama told the summit
President Mahama said Ghanaโs decision to establish the Goldbod reflects a deliberate shift toward greater sovereignty and value addition in the management of Africaโs natural resources.
The initiative, which has already yielded over $10 billion, is part of a broader strategy to ensure that Africa captures more value from its minerals and agricultural commodities rather than exporting them in raw form
He outlined Ghanaโs medium- to long-term ambition to process and add value to resources, including gold, manganese, bauxite, lithium, petroleum, and key agricultural products such as cocoa, oil palm, cashew, cassava, and soya.
According to the President, new alliances with Africa must go beyond extractive trade models and instead support industrialisation, supply-chain development, and shared prosperity.
โAfrica welcomes global partners not merely to trade with, but to transform with,โ he said
Climate Action and GhanaโUAE Cooperation
President Mahama highlighted climate action as a defining pillar of modern global partnerships, noting that while Africa contributes the least to global emissions, it bears a disproportionate share of climate impacts.
He cited the GhanaโUAE partnership as a practical model, pointing to a $30 million grant mobilised to support climate action, biodiversity protection and inclusive development
He stressed that climate action must be matched by climate justice, with developed economies honouring commitments on climate finance, adaptation support, and equitable energy transitions.
Africaโs Role in the New Global Order
Ghanaโs President emphasised that Africaโs growing population, vast resources and expanding market of over 1.3 billion people make the continent central โ not peripheral โ to the future global economy.
He said initiatives such as the Accra Reset provide a roadmap for Africaโs transition from aid dependence to trade, investment, and equitable global partnerships, while underscoring the need for accountable governance, strong institutions, and transparent leadership within African states
President Mahama also reaffirmed Ghanaโs commitment to peace and regional stability, particularly in West Africa, describing security as an indispensable foundation for development and sustainable partnerships.
He called for renewed multilateralism, fairer global governance structures, and alliances built on cooperation rather than confrontation.
โThe future of global alliances is not about treaties alone,โ he said. โIt is about the kind of world we choose to build โ where nations rise together, not apart.โ
Source: Citinewsroom
