Vice President Kashim Shettima, GCON, has called on African nations to pursue homegrown solutions to their economic challenges, stressing that prosperity must be built locally through domestic productive capacity rather than reliance on imports or foreign aid.
The Vice President made the call on Thursday at the High-level Accra Reset Initiative meeting held on the sidelines of the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. He urged African countries to shift from import dependency to local production and from aid-based growth to investment-driven development.
Drawing from Nigeria’s experience, VP Shettima noted that the Dangote Refinery is gradually positioning the country to become a net exporter of refined fuel, demonstrating what is possible when African capital aligns with industrial ambition, infrastructure, and policy clarity.
He emphasized that Africa’s future lies in building domestic productive capacity to convert its growing population and natural endowments into resilient wealth. According to him, Africa can industrialize faster in the 21st century by leveraging modular factories, artificial intelligence, and robotics, moving beyond being known only for what it digs or grows to what it builds.
The Vice President also highlighted the role of human capital, disclosing that Africans in the diaspora sent home about $95 billion in 2024—an amount comparable to total foreign direct investment. He advocated free movement across the continent to allow skills and ideas to circulate, noting that prosperity moves at the speed of people.
VP Shettima described the Accra Reset Initiative as a bold, African-led reimagining of the continent’s shared future, rooted in sovereignty, dignity, and self-definition, and called for a shift from dependency to results-driven cooperation.
Speaking at the forum, Ghana’s President, John Mahama, criticised Africa’s transactional relationship with the Global North, saying it has trapped the continent in cycles of conflict and multidimensional poverty. He said the Accra Reset Initiative offers a practical response to Africa’s place in a changing global order.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo warned that countries unprepared for negotiation and execution risk becoming bargaining chips as the world reorganises. He stressed that sovereignty requires discipline, coordination, and the ability to mobilise capital and implement policies at scale.
Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said the forum aims to galvanise support for African governments to rethink their economic transformation strategies and address the challenges confronting their people.
