Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has issued a clarion call for Africa to fortify its economic independence, declaring that true cultural sovereignty cannot endure without the bedrock of robust economic self-determination.

Addressing delegates on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama at the 4th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty and Values, Debrah argued that nations must cultivate the capacity to underwrite their own development trajectories, guarantee food security, and deliver transformative education, the essential bulwarks against external coercion and undue influence.

He maintained that discourse on cultural sovereignty must be paralleled by resolute, deliberate strides toward economic sovereignty.

“A sovereign nation must be capable of feeding its people, educating its children, protecting its vulnerable, creating opportunities for its youth, and financing its own development priorities.”

Debrah underscored that African citizens measure sovereignty not by rhetoric, but by tangible outcomes in daily life.

“Across Africa, our citizens do not judge sovereignty by the speeches we make; they judge it by whether the lights stay on, whether jobs are available, whether schools educate, whether hospitals heal, and whether governments keep their promises. The ultimate expression of sovereignty is the capacity of a nation to solve the problems of its people,” he said.

The Chief of Staff urged accelerated domestic production, fortified patronage of African-owned enterprises, expanded intra-continental trade, and development blueprints rooted in Africa’s distinct priorities and lived realities.

“We must build economies capable of supporting the social systems we seek to protect. We must strengthen domestic production, support African enterprises, expand regional trade, and create pathways to prosperity that are anchored in our own priorities and realities,” he added.

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