By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Ghanaian President John
Dramani Mahama has called for increased investment in Africa’s digital services
sector, urging African and Russian enterprises to explore opportunities for
cooperation in technology-driven initiatives and modern digital payment systems.
Speaking during a high-level
roundtable at the 3rd Russia–Africa Summit in Moscow, Mahama said Africa must
move beyond its longstanding dependency on foreign aid and raw material
extraction towards investment models that deliver equitable, long-term returns
for all parties.
“Africa is a continent of
the future. Immense opportunities abound for mutual investment between African
and Russian enterprises—particularly in agriculture, agro-processing,
healthcare, energy security, and digital services,” President Mahama declared.
Addressing existing
imbalances in trade, the President advocated enhanced and direct market access
for African goods into the Russian Federation. He proposed the use of
modernised trade settlement mechanisms, particularly local currencies and
integrated digital payment architectures, to facilitate smooth bilateral
transactions.
“Better market information,
predictable quality standards, resilient logistics, and closer cooperation
between our respective private sectors can make trade far more balanced,
reliable, and mutually rewarding,” he noted.
Mahama said Africa’s
priority should be to eliminate structural and administrative bottlenecks that
prevent goodwill from developing into robust and sustainable commercial
relationships.
He also urged Russia to
leverage its technological expertise to support Africa’s industrialisation and
economic advancement, recalling the country’s historical solidarity with the
continent during the struggle against colonialism and the early years of independence.
“You stood by Africa during
the struggle against colonialism and extended critical support to our newly
independent nations. Today, we are prepared to leverage Russia’s expertise in
technology-driven initiatives to accelerate modern industrialisation, growth,
and prosperity across our continent,” he said.
