Prof Baffour Agyeman-Duah, former UN Senior Government Advisor, says President John Mahama’s bold address at the 80th UN General Assembly revived the spirit of Nkrumah-era African leadership.
He told Joy News on September 29 that he was struck by the courage and depth of the speech.
“It was the first time in a very long time that I’ve heard an African leader at the UN taking on critical issues in such a bold way. It reminded me of Kwame Nkrumah days, the early post-independence era…”
He recalled how Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, and others once stood at the UN to demand Africa’s place on the global stage.
“When I heard the President’s speech, it reminded me… we have so many challenges that our leaders tend to kind of either be timid … or because our hands are in their mouth… and it’s gone for so long,” he said.
Prof Agyeman-Duah praised President Mahama’s direct style.
He singled out a metaphor Mahama used: “If that bird cracks like a duck and looks like a duck and walks like one, please, let’s say it’s a duck.”
He said that line “really impressed.”
He said Mahama tackled thorny topics: the treatment of African migrants, the exploitative role of international financial agencies, and the need for fairness in global systems.
“When you tackle the issue of immigration, the way the western countries are treating Africans… the way the international financial agencies are simply exploiting us and many others that he raised… for me, it was the boldest speech I’ve heard from an African leader in a very, very long time, and I was very pleased with it.”
In his UN address, Mahama argued that the world must wake up to Africa’s shifting power.
He emphasised that by 2050, over 25 per cent of the world’s population will be African, and one-third of youth will live on the continent. He declared, “The future is African.”
The President also challenged outdated global institutions.
President Mahama said the UN Charter is “outdated when it comes to representation”, calling for permanent African seats on the Security Council and mechanisms to challenge veto power.
Mahama further pressed that the global financial architecture is skewed against Africa and demanded a “reset” of multilateral systems.
Prof Agyeman-Duah’s praise places Mahama’s UN address as a defining moment.
He sees it as a return to bold African diplomacy and a signal that Ghana intends to lead a continent pressing for justice and equity on the world stage.