The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged African leaders to deepen intra-continental trade and collaboration as a path to true self-reliance and sustainable development.
Speaking at the 58th Special Congregation of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), he highlighted the urgency of the moment, pointing to shifting global power dynamics and increasing competition among global superpowers.
“These global changes must be a wake-up call for Africa, it is time for us to take ownership of our development by leveraging the vast natural and human resources available across the continent.”
Otumfuo emphasized that Africa’s universities have the capacity to produce the skilled workforce needed to drive innovation and economic transformation.
He called for stronger collaboration between African nations in education, trade, and industry.
“We’ve already started important conversations on Ghana’s relations with Eswatini, and broader South-South cooperation. But we must do more. Africans must trade and do business with one another. Our economies are in our hands. If we continue to depend on so-called developed nations, especially in these unpredictable times, we risk falling behind. Africa must come first.”
Pointing to the potential within the continent, he added that “We have all the resources we need. Look at the brilliant graduates here today, there’s nothing they can’t achieve. What’s missing is the motivation and support to help them thrive. We must empower our engineers to manufacture locally and give our professors the resources to turn knowledge into impact. The capacity is here—we just need the will to act”.
The Asantehene also used the platform to call for urgent government action on the stalled KNUST Teaching Hospital project.
He stressed its importance in strengthening medical training and easing pressure on the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
“This hospital is very dear to me. It is not just another facility, it is essential for the training of future medical professionals,” he said. “We’ve seen significant progress, but the work remains incomplete.”
In a direct appeal to the Vice President, he added: “Madam Vice President, I ask you to convey to the President the importance of this project. Let us prioritize its swift completion for the benefit of the nation”.
