Mahama arrives in London for FT Africa Summit; heads to Ethiopia for Tana Forum

President John Dramani Mahama has arrived in London and is scheduled to address the Financial Times (FT) Africa Summit 2026 on Wednesday, October 21, where he will offer perspectives on the strategic opportunities and headwinds shaping Africa’s economic future.

The FT Africa Summit brings together heads of state, global business leaders and top institutional financiers for two days of discussions focused on accelerating inclusive growth and mobilising capital in a changing global economic order. President Mahama, Chair of the Presidential Council of the Accra Reset and acclaimed for transforming the Ghanaian economy over the past year, will speak on the strategic opportunities and headwinds shaping Africa’s economic future .

At the summit, President Mahama signalled Ghana’s openness to international cooperation in the fight against terrorism in West Africa, declaring that any country committed to the fight is welcome, including Russia. “My opinion on this is that anybody who is committed to the fight against terrorism is welcome,” he said, amid persistent militant violence across parts of the Sahel .

On the deployment of a West African standby force to tackle insecurity, the President attributed delays to the lack of a United Nations resolution to help provide the needed financing .

The President also used the platform to outline key economic priorities. He disclosed that Ghana is aiming to ban exports of raw materials by 2030 to increase value addition from critical minerals, specifically citing lithium, manganese, bauxite and gold. He noted that 70 per cent of Ghana’s gold is currently refined locally before export, expressing confidence that the country would soon refine 100 per cent .

On cocoa, President Mahama said his administration aims to process at least 50 per cent of cocoa beans locally, with only 50 per cent of annual production available for export. “That should bring some of the processing home and create jobs for people,” he said .

Ghana is also set to unveil a $10 billion, four-year economic programme before the end of the year to drive job creation as the economy stabilises after debt restructuring. Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson will announce the programme, which will focus on nine areas including pharmaceuticals and tourism, the President said at the summit .

Ethiopia Engagements

After his engagements in the United Kingdom, President Mahama will travel to Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, to lead the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa, scheduled for October 23–25, 2026 .

As Chairperson of the Tana Forum, President Mahama will formally present the State of Security in Africa Report on Saturday, October 24, 2026 .

This year’s forum is convening under the theme “Pathways to Peace in Africa: Economic Sovereignty and Geopolitical Transformation.” Discussions will focus on resource sovereignty and strategic resource governance for industrial development, digital transformation and inclusion, African institutions and capabilities, and regional integration, informality and illicit economies .

The Forum is expected to bring together around 250 participants, including sitting and former African heads of state and government, African Union, UN and EU officials, diplomats, academics, civil society representatives, private sector leaders, and youth and women’s networks .

Organisers describe the Tana Forum as the continent’s leading platform for African-led dialogue on peace and security, designed to provide opportunities for decision-makers to exchange experiences and contribute to open debate on issues of strategic importance to the continent .