Ghana has called on African countries to take greater financial responsibility for the African Union, urging member states to strengthen domestic revenue mobilisation and reduce reliance on external funding to sustain the continent’s development priorities.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa made the call on Friday, November 13, 2026, at the 27th Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) in Accra, which focused on financing the Union.
The meeting brought together African Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Finance, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, heads of AU organs and institutions, leaders of African multilateral financial institutions and other delegates to deliberate on sustainable funding arrangements for the continental body.
Mr Ablakwa said Africa’s political independence must be matched by financial sovereignty, arguing that the continent must take greater ownership of the resources needed to finance its institutions and priorities.
He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to reforms aimed at improving the AU’s financial sustainability, institutional efficiency and accountability, while emphasising the need to strengthen African financial institutions and invest in peace and security.
The Foreign Affairs Minister also announced Ghana’s commitment to advancing the establishment of African Union financial institutions, disclosing that the country intends to host an Extraordinary Summit on African Financial Institutions in Accra in 2027.
Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, also challenged member states to move beyond declarations of African sovereignty and demonstrate their commitment through concrete financial contributions.
He said the continent’s sovereignty must be built, organised and financed by its own member states, stressing the importance of sustainable funding and collective responsibility.
In his closing remarks, Mr Ablakwa described the meeting as successful, commending participating countries for their frank deliberations and renewed commitment to strengthening the AU’s financial position.
He said the willingness expressed by several member states, including Ghana, to increase their financial contributions was encouraging, but stressed the need for such commitments to translate into tangible action.
The meeting comes amid renewed calls for African countries to reduce their dependence on external financing and build stronger continental institutions capable of financing and implementing their own priorities.
The discussions also reinforced the objectives of the AU’s Agenda 2063, particularly the pursuit of an integrated, prosperous and self-reliant Africa.
Mr Ablakwa urged member states to sustain the spirit of Pan-Africanism and collective responsibility, insisting that the continent’s development priorities must increasingly be financed through African resources.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
