Former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, has called on African countries to unite in order to forge a sustainable path toward development and prosperity for their citizens. “I do not think there is a continent that has suffered more than Africa; the time has come for Africa to stand on its own,” he stated. Zuma delivered this message during the 2025 University of Professional Studies (UPSA) Accra Annual Leadership Lecture Series, which took place yesterday in Accra. The theme of his lecture was “The Geopolitics and Geo-economics of De-dollarisation: BRICS Currency Strategy, Lessons for Africa’s Common Currency and Beyond.”
Among those present at the event were former President John Agyekum Kufuor and Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu, among others. This lecture series was established in 2017 to provide a platform for national and global discussions on challenges and issues that impact humanity. Notable personalities who have delivered lectures in the past include former President Kufuor, the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Cardinal Peter Kwodwo Turkson, Kwame Pianim, and Lord Boateng.
Integration
Mr. Zuma emphasized the need for economic and political integration in Africa to promote growth. He urged the continent to resist any form of neo-colonialism and outside influences that aim to create divisions among countries and their people as a means to exploit resources. He pointed out that our adversaries know how to manipulate our own people to serve their interests.
Therefore, it is crucial for us to unite and guard against external influences that could incite conflicts, leading to internal strife and making us enemies of one another. In such divisions, we become vulnerable to exploitation,” the former President remarked. He praised Ghana for its significant role in the liberation struggle against colonialism, stating, “Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was an honest man who genuinely sought the best for this continent.”
Challenges
Mr Zuma acknowledged the difficulties African countries faced in trading and doing business among themselves, which he largely attributed to an economic model designed during the colonial era. He said the current world economic order had not also taken into consideration the peculiar needs of African countries despite the enormous natural resources on the continent being unfairly harness by the rest of the world.
The former President, therefore, called on African countries to be resolute, integrate their economics and pursue policies that would move people out of poverty. He encouraged them not to shy away from joining economic groupings such as BRICS to help shape their economies.
Mr Zuma recounted how he was instrumental in the formation of BRICS and the challenges he and the other leaders who formed the group faced, including attempts to undermine their leadership and countries. BRICS is the future for Africa. It is a critical system in changing the economic fortunes of developing countries. We have modelled our economies to serve other countries, but we have not had any substantial benefit. It is time to look elsewhere,” he added.
Significance
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, described the lecture as a critical platform to help shape national and global discourse to address some of the challenges facing the nation and the world at large. The Chancellor of UPSA, Dr KK Sarpong, also said that Africans must learn to take their destinies into their own hands and not become spectators. We must be architects of our own destiny and become a continent that trade on its own terms, supported by robust institutions, with a common resolve,” he said.
Writer’s email: emma.hawkson@graphic.com.gh
