President John Dramani Mahama has called on Africans and the global community to recognize the resilience, creativity, and achievements of African peoples, emphasizing that their inherent greatness endures despite centuries of oppression and injustice.

Speaking at a high-level event on reparative justice at UN Headquarters, President Mahama declared, “The greatness that is within us will always outweigh the injustices that have been vested against us. Despite what we’ve endured for centuries, our survival is a testament to that fact.”

The President highlighted the historical and cultural achievements of Africa, challenging narratives that have sought to diminish the continent’s contributions. “Our ancestors built magnificent cities, sophisticated drainage systems, and monumental structures,” he said, citing the cities of Benin and Great Zimbabwe. “These feats demonstrate ingenuity, organization, and civilization that contradict the myths used to justify enslavement and colonization.”

Mahama also stressed the importance of reclaiming African humanity and history: “We must always start by reclaiming racial equality, the dignity of Africans, and the humanity of our ancestors who were enslaved. In doing so, we also reclaim our own humanity.”

Reflecting on the legacies of slavery and oppression, the President noted, “Truth begins with language. When we absorb too much of the language of violence and erasure, our minds can become enslaved. But by speaking the truth about our history, we liberate ourselves and future generations.”

He concluded with a message of hope and collective responsibility: “A human compassion binds us to one another, not in pity, but as human beings who have learned to turn our common suffering into hope for the future. Let us stand united to acknowledge the full horrors of history, restore dignity, and celebrate the greatness within us all.”

TAKORATWENE, AFRAM PLAINS — President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday broke ground on Ghana’s first Farmer Services Centre in Takoratwene, launching what the government describes as a cornerstone of its effort to modernise the country’s agricultural sector and move smallholder farmers away from subsistence farming.

The centre, sited in the Afram Plains — a region the government has identified as a key agricultural growth corridor — is designed to operate as a one-stop hub offering farmers access to mechanised equipment, farm inputs, soil testing, storage facilities, extension training, and direct market linkages. Officials say the facility addresses long-running structural weaknesses that have kept Ghana’s farming sector from reaching its productive potential.

“This is how we transform agriculture — through practical, targeted investments,” President Mahama said at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The initiative is part of a broader national rollout, with government planning to establish 50 such centres across the country. Eleven are expected to begin construction this year.

Speaking at the event, Mahama framed the project as a deliberate policy shift, arguing that agriculture — which underpins the livelihoods of millions of Ghanaians — has long been held back by limited mechanisation, poor storage infrastructure, weak extension services, and fragmented market access. The new centres, he said, are intended to tackle all four at once.

The government is partnering with B5 Plus Group Limited on the project, with Mahama citing public-private collaboration as essential to the programme’s scale and sustainability. Beyond infrastructure, he said the broader agricultural agenda includes expanded irrigation, rural road development, climate-resilient farming practices, and value addition to boost farmer incomes.

Mahama also used the occasion to address input costs and pricing, assuring farmers that policies are in place to ease the financial burden of farming and guarantee fair prices for their produce.

Officials say the Afram Plains was selected for the first centre due to its substantial arable land and untapped potential for both crop and livestock production. The government hopes the facility will curb post-harvest losses, attract youth into commercial farming, and generate employment in the surrounding communities.

BEREKUM WEST DISTRICT — President John Dramani Mahama has toured the site of the 80-kilometre Jinijini–Sampa Road project in the Berekum West District, using the visit to reassure residents that the long-delayed highway will be fully asphalted by the end of 2027.

The inspection was part of Mahama’s ongoing “Resetting Ghana Tour,” a nationwide initiative through which the president has been making direct appearances in communities to monitor infrastructure projects and take stock of citizen concerns.

Flanked by traditional rulers, including chiefs and queen mothers, as well as community leaders and local residents, the president walked the project site and listened to firsthand accounts of how the road’s deteriorating condition has affected daily life and commerce in the area. He thanked residents for their reception and used the occasion to restate his administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability.

Mahama struck an optimistic note on the economy, pointing to what he described as early signs of stabilisation among them a decline in inflation and a strengthening of the cedi against major foreign currencies. He argued that restoring investor confidence and attracting fresh foreign direct investment would be crucial to sustaining that momentum.

Beyond the road itself, the president outlined a slate of flagship programmes his administration is pursuing, including the Big Push economic agenda, the Mahama Cares social initiative, Nkoko Nkitinkiti, and a 24-hour market programme designed to extend trading hours and boost local commerce. He referenced a recent sod-cutting ceremony for a 24-hour market in the region as a tangible sign of that agenda taking shape.

President Mahama closed by urging residents to attend an upcoming stakeholder engagement in Sunyani, saying that public input remained central to how his government intends to design and deliver policy.

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