Gifty Boateng
President John Dramani Mahama has drawn public praise from world leaders and business figures at the ongoing 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), as he prepares to deliver Ghana’s 25th General Debate address.
In New York for the high-level week, the Ghanaian leader serving his second and constitutionally final term has been commended for steering Ghana’s economic recovery and championing the global reparations agenda.
Among those singing his praises are Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Kenya’s William Ruto, and Africa’s richest man, Nigerian business magnate Aliko Dangote.
Addressing the Assembly, President Lula praised Ghana’s leadership in advancing the reparatory justice agenda earlier this year, citing the landmark UN declaration adopted on March 25, 2026, following a Ghana-led initiative championed by President Mahama.
The resolution recognised the trafficking of enslaved Africans and the racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity, and called for inclusive dialogue on reparatory justice and addressing the lasting consequences of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.
“This General Assembly recently corrected a historical distortion in the world map. It recognised the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity,” President Lula said.
He urged the international community to move beyond recognition: “Now, it needs to focus on issues crucial for the future of humanity. We are called to choose between multilateralism or unilateralism, democracy or extremism, sovereignty or subordination. These choices require courage, political will, and clarity of objectives. This is what we expect from a statesman.”
Speaking at the “Accra Reset: Full Circle – Making Global Development Work Again” event on the sidelines of the Assembly, Dangote credited President Mahama with turning Ghana’s economy around within two years of his return to office, arguing that investors commit resources when confidence is restored.
“This has actually shown that money follows trust,” he said. “President Mahama turned around the economy of Ghana in a very short time. It wasn’t a very good case, but when he came in, he didn’t do any magic — he did the right things.”
Kenya’s President William Ruto, an East African leader and long-time friend of his Ghanaian counterpart, drew spontaneous laughter from both delegations when he greeted President Mahama as “John the Baptist” as the two met for bilateral talks.
He also offered congratulations for events of Monday, September 21, saying: “Congratulations for yesterday.”
Their discussions centred on trade, regional security, stronger diplomatic ties, and advancing Africa’s interests globally. President Ruto praised President Mahama for championing the “Accra Reset” agenda and drawing global attention to the need for Africa to pursue greater self-financing.
Relations between Ghana and Kenya date back to the early years of Africa’s independence struggle and have been strengthened in recent years by the bonds between Presidents Mahama and Ruto, as well as former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta.
This is coming months after President Mahama delivered a landmark address on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at the UN Headquarters in New York, during a High-Level Special Event on Reparatory Justice, sparking global admiration and discussions.
Beyond the tributes, President Mahama held a series of high-level meetings on Tuesday, September 22, spanning trade, regional security, economic cooperation, and global governance.
He met King Abdullah II of Jordan, highlighting opportunities for stronger economic cooperation and partnership; Swiss President Guy Parmelin, where he discussed Ghana’s efforts to rebuild an economy inherited in difficult circumstances, sought support for Ghana’s decentralisation system, and identified artificial intelligence as an area for Swiss expertise in revenue mobilisation; Rebeca Grynspan, Costa Rica’s candidate for United Nations Secretary-General; and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, in her capacity as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health.
President Mahama is scheduled to address the Assembly today, Thursday, September 24, 2026 — the 25th General Debate address by a Ghanaian president, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The ministry’s records trace Ghana’s presidential appearances to Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who delivered the first address on September 23, 1960. It lists 24 presidential addresses through the 80th session in 2025, with former President Akufo-Addo leading on eight between 2017 and 2024.
President Mahama previously addressed the debate in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2025 — making Thursday’s address his seventh, and bringing the total to 25.
Per the Ministry’s record, seven Ghanaian presidents have addressed the General Debate, though the six named in its post account for the 24 listed appearances.