Ghana’s Deputy Chief of Staff (Administration), Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, has represented President John Dramani Mahama at a high-level OECD conference in Paris, where she delivered a keynote address outlining Ghana’s Accra Reset agenda for reforming global development cooperation.
The conference, held at the OECD Headquarters, brought together about 250 international development leaders to deliberate on the future of development cooperation amid declining global aid flows and shifting geopolitical priorities. It was convened by OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, who also serves as Presidential Advisory Liaison to the Accra Reset Secretariat, spoke on behalf of President Mahama, who was unable to attend due to a prior state engagement.
In her address, she delivered a sharp assessment of global development financing trends, noting that Official Development Assistance (ODA) from Development Assistance Committee (DAC) countries fell by 23.1 per cent in real terms in 2025; a loss estimated at about US$50 billion, the steepest annual drop recorded.
She further highlighted that bilateral aid to sub-Saharan Africa declined by more than 26 per cent, while humanitarian assistance fell by nearly 36 per cent, with further reductions projected in 2026.
She also pointed to rising debt pressures across the continent, noting that African governments collectively service over US$80 billion annually against approximately US$95 billion in external inflows.
Speaking for President Mahama, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo positioned the Accra Reset as Ghana’s sovereign response to the changing global development landscape, stressing the need for a shift from aid dependency to locally driven, accountable development systems.
The initiative, co-founded by President Mahama, is anchored by a Presidential Council of Heads of State from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and supported by a Guardians’ Circle of former global leaders, including Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Jakaya Kikwete and Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, as well as former Prime Ministers Helen Clark and Gro Harlem Brundtland.
She explained that the Accra Reset is designed to reposition developing countries as co-authors of global development systems rather than passive recipients.
On behalf of the President, she outlined three core implementation pillars of the initiative.
On health, she highlighted the High-Level Panel on Reform of Global Health Architecture and Governance, alongside HINGE – the Health Investment National Gateways Enabler – which is designed to convert policy commitments into bankable investments within 24 months.
On economic transformation, she introduced the Sovereign Prosperity Spheres, aimed at strengthening cross-border industrial coordination, and sovereign exchange instruments linked to critical minerals such as gold and cobalt.
On institutional capacity, she presented the Sankoree Institute of Global Negotiators and Masterkey, a digital skills passport programme targeting 150,000 cross-border employment placements within five years.
Following the keynote, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, together with Ghana’s Ambassador to France, H.E. Mavis Ama Frimpong, held bilateral discussions with OECD Director of Development Co-operation Pilar Garrido.
The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between the OECD and the Accra Reset initiative and exploring practical areas of partnership going forward.
On the second day of her visit, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo visited the Ghana Embassy in Paris, where she met staff of the Chancery led by Ambassador Frimpong.
She was briefed on ongoing diplomatic and trade-related activities, including a business seminar that linked Ghanaian and French enterprises, as well as efforts to support Ghana’s bid to rejoin the UNESCO Executive Board.
She used the engagement to further brief staff on the Accra Reset agenda, emphasizing Ghana’s role in shaping global development reform conversations.
She assured embassy personnel that Ghana’s development direction remains firmly on course under President Mahama and encouraged them to continue representing the country with professionalism and pride.
The Accra Reset is a Head-of-State–anchored initiative co-founded by President John Dramani Mahama to reform global development cooperation through sovereign capacity building, institutional reform, and strengthened mutual accountability across partnerships involving Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
