The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has called for homegrown solutions to Africa’s economic challenges, stressing that sustainable growth, development and prosperity on the continent must be driven by African innovation, production and policy choices rather than external dependence.

He said African nations could only turn their population strength and natural talents into lasting wealth by deliberately building domestic productive capacity, adding that prosperity cannot be delivered from outside but must be created internally through investment, skills and industry.

The Vice President made the remarks on Thursday at the High-level Accra Reset Initiative meeting, which was held on the margins of the ongoing 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. He told participants that Africa was no longer on the margins of global affairs but had become central to the world’s demographic and economic future.

Using Nigeria as an example, Shettima pointed to the Dangote Refinery, which he said was gradually transforming the country into a major exporter of refined fuel. According to him, the project shows what is possible when African capital aligns with industrial ambition and supportive policy frameworks.

He said, “Africa cannot rise on applause alone. We rise when we build. After decades as a net importer of value, Nigeria is on the verge of becoming a net exporter of refined fuel, powered by Africa’s largest refinery in Lagos, Nigeria: the Dangote Refinery.

“This is what happens when African capital meets industrial ambition. This implies that nations move from price takers to value makers when production is matched with infrastructure and policy clarity. Even as manufacturing’s share of Africa’s GDP fell from 16 percent in 1980 to under 10 percent by 2016, we chose not to retreat but to leapfrog.”

The Vice President said Africa has an opportunity to industrialise faster in the twenty first century by embracing new technologies and flexible production models. He highlighted the advantages of modular factories, artificial intelligence and robotics, noting that these tools reduce entry barriers and shorten production cycles.

According to him, the era when Africa was known mainly for what it extracted from the ground or harvested from farms was gradually giving way to a new phase in which the continent would be recognised for what it builds and manufactures.

Shettima also spoke on the importance of human mobility and skills circulation, arguing that people, rather than raw materials alone, are the true drivers of prosperity in a modern economy. He said Africa’s future depended on allowing skills to travel, return and multiply across borders.

He recalled that “in 2024 alone, Africans abroad sent home about 95 billion dollars, more than 5 percent of our GDP and roughly equal to total foreign direct investment.” According to him, the scale of remittances shows the economic value of the African diaspora and the need to better integrate talent flows into development strategies.

He added, “That is not charity. This is why we are also championing free movement across Africa because mobility is a competitive advantage in a world where human capital is the most precious resource. Let skills and ideas flow as freely as goods and capital, and prosperity will follow.”

Drawing further from Nigeria’s experience, the Vice President said the country had learned a simple but critical lesson that prosperity is built, not imported. He described this as the prosperity paradox, where markets and talent may exist but resilience remains weak until demand is translated into domestic capability.

He explained that domestic capability means firms that can produce at scale, meet standards and compete globally. According to him, wealth that comes from outside is often fragile, while wealth created from within is more durable and sustainable over time.

Shettima said, “Nigeria’s own market of over 200 million people has taught us that latent demand means little unless we cultivate local supply. Only by building domestic productive capacity can we convert our population and natural endowments into real, resilient wealth. Prosperity cannot be parachuted in – it must be homegrown and earned.”

The Vice President welcomed the vision behind the Accra Reset Initiative, describing it as a bold attempt to rethink Africa’s shared future through African-led cooperation. He said the initiative was rooted in sovereignty, self-definition and collective responsibility.

On Nigeria’s contribution to the Accra Reset discussions, Shettima said the country was advancing health-industrial capability as part of its broader economic transformation agenda. He explained that Nigeria had begun to treat health security not just as a social obligation but as an industrial value chain.

According to him, this approach covers manufacturing, diagnostics, logistics, standards and procurement, and aims to reduce dependence on imported medical products while strengthening local systems.

He said, “Through the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PUHVAC), inaugurated in October 2023, we are coordinating reforms and investment to expand local production and strengthen quality systems. This approach resonates with a broader African aspiration: building our own vaccine and medicine capacity to secure what I call health sovereignty.”

The Vice President described the Accra Reset Initiative as both a call to action and a call to reset the mindset of African countries. He said it was about shifting “from dependency to dignity, from aid to investment, from rhetoric to results.”

He expressed confidence that if African leaders respond decisively, the continent would experience a boom anchored on innovation, industry and interdependence rather than vulnerability to commodity price cycles.

Earlier, President John Mahama of Ghana praised the participation of Vice President Shettima and other leaders at the forum but criticised the current nature of Africa’s relationship with the global north. He said many bilateral engagements had become transactional and had failed to support Africa’s genuine transformation.

Mahama noted that many state and non-state actors pursue narrow national interests, leaving Africa trapped in cycles of conflict and multidimensional poverty and dependent on handouts and humanitarian assistance.

He said the Accra Reset Initiative, which was introduced at the last United Nations General Assembly in New York, was not another declaration or wish list but a practical response to questions young Africans are asking about the continent’s future in a changing global order.

Calling for stronger synergy among African leaders, Mahama said, “Though no specific name has been coined for the new global system that will emerge, Africa intends to be at the table in determining what that new global order will look like.”

Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, also spoke at the forum, focusing on what Africa must do to secure its place in the international system amid disruption, uncertainty and unpredictability.

He warned that as global supply chains are being reorganised and security and economics increasingly intertwined, countries that are not organised for negotiation and execution risk becoming bargaining chips rather than partners.

Obasanjo said, “The Accra Reset Initiative has come to inspire leaders to stop complaining about the system that has changed or is changing, and to build a way through it.”

On the issue of value addition and technology, he stressed that sovereignty goes beyond symbolism. According to him, sovereignty is about discipline, coordination and the ability to make and implement difficult choices at scale.

He said, “Sovereignty is also the ability to negotiate firmly, coordinate regionally, mobilise capital, incentivises, resources, and implement at a scale that will lead to sustainable development. If you cannot coordinate, you will be divided.”

In the same vein, former Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, said the forum was designed to mobilise support for African governments to rethink economic strategies and confront the many challenges facing their citizens.

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