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President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated Ghana’s position as a leading voice for Africa on the global stage, emphasizing the urgent need for reparations and structural reforms in the international system. Speaking in an interview with YouTuber Wode Maya, the president outlined his vision for a continent demanding justice while positioning itself as central to humanity’s future.

More than 12.5 million Africans were forcibly taken against their will and transported to create wealth for powerful Western nations, President Mahama stated. We must demand reparations for the enslavement of our people and the colonization of our land that resulted in the theft of our natural resources as well as the looting of artifacts and cultural heritage that have yet to be returned.

The president criticized the current global system for perpetuating what he called new colonialism, in which African countries remain dependent on exporting raw materials while prices and finished goods are controlled externally. He specifically addressed how colonial patterns of trade established by former masters persist today. Railways lead only to where there are resources, then from there to ports in order to extract those resources and export them to other destinations, he explained.

President Mahama serves as the African Union (AU) Champion for Reparations, a role that has seen him deliver multiple addresses on the subject throughout 2025. He has described Africa’s call for reparative justice as no longer a whisper but a unified demand grounded in historical truth, moral clarity and unwavering commitment to dignity. The AU has declared 2025 as the year for Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through reparations, recently extending the focus for a decade covering 2026 to 2036.

The president has announced that Ghana will file a motion at the United Nations next year to declare slavery as one of the greatest crimes against humanity. He noted that when slavery was abolished, it was slave owners who were compensated for the loss of their property, while the enslaved and their descendants received nothing. That injustice remains the greatest crime against humanity to date, he asserted.

Ghana and Togo will co sponsor a high level event in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025 to further bolster efforts at achieving the justice and closure which has eluded Africans for centuries. President Mahama has called for formal apologies from states and entities responsible for centuries of harm, emphasizing that it is time to face uncomfortable truths of history and take meaningful steps toward correcting them.

The president highlighted how the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), while a milestone for intra African trade, cannot reach its full potential without proper infrastructure such as railways, ports and roads. The current world order is rigged against Africa, he stated, adding that the continent continues to live as new colonial slaves because while having a flag and independence, the fundamental economic structures remain unchanged.

The future of the world is African, President Mahama declared emphatically. He noted that by 2050, one in every three young people aged 15 to 24 globally will reside on the African continent. With Africa’s median age at 19 years compared to 28 in India and 38 in the United States, the continent possesses a demographic advantage that could reshape global dynamics.

Africa’s population is expected to grow from 1.4 billion today to 2.5 billion by 2050, representing approximately 25 percent of the world’s population. More than 60 percent of Africa’s current population is under the age of 25, and this proportion is estimated to grow further. The continent will add 138 million to its youth population between 2024 and 2050, creating an unprecedented demographic dividend if properly harnessed.

However, President Mahama cautioned that this transformation requires more than conferences and policy documents. It demands deliberate integration of infrastructure development, education reform and economic restructuring. The president called for Africa to have greater representation in international institutions such as the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Health Organization (WHO), arguing that equity and justice must be central in any new global order.

He stressed that Africa needs a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and meaningful participation in decision making processes at global financial institutions. The current configuration of these bodies reflects power structures established in the aftermath of World War II, which no longer reflect contemporary realities or the demographic weight of the African continent.

In his interview with Wode Maya, President Mahama spoke from the heart about his recent address at the 80th United Nations General Assembly. He revealed that he carefully crafted his message on reparations, the global system and the need for Africa’s rightful place in international governance. When you speak from the heart, that’s how it comes across, he said, adding that he meant every word.

President Mahama delivered a progress report at the 7th Mid Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, where he stated that notable progress has been achieved by the AU Commission and Member States in implementing the reparations theme. He expressed particular satisfaction with the recent decision by the Executive Council to extend the focus on reparations for a decade.

The president emphasized the deep connection between reparations and African identity and dignity. We cannot speak of development without identity or speak of unity without acknowledging the erasure that has fractured our heritage, he argued. As we correct historical wrongs, we reassert our full humanity. We reaffirm our sovereignty. We reignite the flame of dignity that has always burned within the African soul.