Africa: UN Deputy Scribe, Oramah, Oyedele, Others Say Africa Must Own Its Narrative

What the report says

African leaders speaking at the closing of the 2026 Aliko Dangote Foundation Africa Diaspora Leadership Programme Young Global Leaders Convening in Lagos urged younger Africans to take greater ownership of the continent’s economic and political future. According to This Day, the four-day event themed "Building Africa at Scale" brought together officials and business figures including UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, former Afreximbank chair Benedict Oramah, Nigeria’s finance minister Taiwo Oyedele, culture minister Hannatu Musawa, Rwanda Development Board chief executive Jean Guy Afrika and industrialist Aliko Dangote.

Mohammed said Africa’s influence increasingly depends on power, institutions and the ability to shape global decisions, rather than simply seeking representation. She also warned that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence are becoming another arena of global competition. Oramah pointed to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery as proof that Africans can deliver complex projects at scale, while stressing that the continent must build more productive capacity and strengthen local control over finance. Oyedele said governments should create policy and regulatory conditions that allow private capital to drive investment, jobs and infrastructure.

Other speakers said Africa must improve its narrative by investing in the creative economy, building more predictable institutions and reducing the dependence on exceptional individuals to make projects succeed. Jean Guy Afrika emphasized policy consistency, contract enforcement and accountability as investment priorities. Dangote, in closing remarks, said Africa’s challenge is not a lack of ideas but turning ambition into institutions and lasting value. The discussion reflected a wider push for African-led development and a stronger voice in global economic and political affairs.