President John Dramani Mahama has called for a fundamental shift in Africa’s development model, urging the continent to move from aid and debt dependence to asset-driven growth anchored in credible, investable portfolios.

Speaking at the Global Africa Investment Summit in Dubai on Tuesday, President Mahama said Africa possesses vast sovereign assets, but the challenge lies in converting them into well-structured, bankable investment platforms with clear revenue streams.

According to him, this transition would allow African economies to attract long-term capital without resorting to unsustainable public debt, while anchoring development in ownership, productivity, and resilience.

“Global capital does not chase isolated projects. It invests in platforms,” President Mahama stated.

He explained that the Global Africa Investment Summit is designed to present scalable and well-structured investment platforms across key sectors, including minerals, energy, infrastructure, trade, and logistics. Africa, he noted, already has the assets; what is being built now is the architecture that enables those assets to speak the language of global capital.

President Mahama observed that institutional investors seek stability, scale, and predictability, all of which Africa can offer if its assets are properly valued, structured, and governed.

He said the summit, founded by former President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, and Madame Marguerite Krauss, has the potential to transform how global capital engages with Africa. The summit is being held under the theme, “Mobilising Global Capital for Africa’s Next Growth Chapter.”

President Mahama stressed that the launch of the Global Africa Investment Summit is an action-oriented initiative, not a symbolic gesture, as it provides a transparent and collaborative platform for engaging global investors.

He added that the initiative aligns with the Accra Reset, which he described as a deliberate move away from aid dependency towards economic sovereignty, self-determination, and investment-led growth.

“Moving from aid to investment is not merely desirable; it is essential for sustainable development,” he said.

President Mahama concluded that Africa must not be a passive participant in the emerging global order but must actively shape how the world engages with the continent—on Africa’s own terms