Bold Self-Interest Key to Africa’s Prosperity –Sir Sam Jonah
By: Maame Efua Kwaduah
Renowned statesman and Chair of the Advisory Board of the African Trade Chamber, Sir Sam Jonah, has called on African nations to abandon decades of dependence on raw material exports and adopt what he describes as a bold, self-interested trade strategy to secure the continent’s future.
Speaking at the Africa Trade Summit 2026 held at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, he urged African nations to adopt a “boldly selfish” trade strategy, moving away from dependence on raw material exports to fully embrace industrialization and local value creation.
Sir Sam Jonah emphasized that the continent can no longer afford “growth without transformation.” He warned that as the global economic order shifts, Africa must prioritize its own industrial interests to avoid permanent marginalization in global markets.
Highlighting structural weaknesses in African economies, Sir Jonah criticized the continued practice of exporting raw resources such as cocoa, oil, and minerals while importing finished goods. “If Africa continues to export raw potential while importing finished prosperity, we will always sit at the margins of global wealth,” he said. “No continent should outsource its survival.”
To safeguard the continent against global economic shocks, Sir Jonah outlined key strategic priorities. These include advancing industrialization through the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), promoting local beneficiation in sectors such as minerals, agro-industry, and pharmaceuticals, and building domestic manufacturing capacity for medicines a lesson underscored by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also stressed the importance of inclusive growth, emphasizing the need to prioritize youth, women, and small- and medium-sized enterprises as drivers of sustainable industrial development.
Sir Jonah further urged African leaders to negotiate firmly on the international stage, resisting external pressures and distant agendas. He described the AfCFTA as the continent’s “economic fortress” that can only succeed if intra-African trade is unhindered by borders and standards are fully harmonized.
“The table is already set,” he concluded. “Africa must claim its seat not as a supplier of raw materials, but as a producer of value, innovation and economic power.”
The summit brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and trade experts to discuss strategies for accelerating Africa’s economic transformation, with Sir Jonah’s address highlighting the urgent need for local value creation and industrial self-reliance across the continent.
