President John Dramani Mahama on Friday, March 7, 2025, launched the Africa Political Parties Initiative in Accra.
The event, held at the Accra International Conference Centre, was attended by distinguished political leaders from across the African continent.
The initiative was launched ahead of the upcoming African Political Parties Summit, scheduled for July this year.
Delivering the keynote address, President Mahama described the initiative as an opportunity for Ghana to reaffirm its pan-African appeal and reflect on the possibilities of “an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens, representing a dynamic force in the international arena.”
He commended the Africa Governance Centre for its vision, stating that the organization’s efforts to build cross-party engagement and capacity-building—motivated by a desire to find common ground and position politics as a driver for positive transformation—were refreshing.
Endorsing the initiative, President Mahama stated, “It is my pleasure to voice support for the APPI and to congratulate the team of the Africa Governance Centre for this great initiative.”
The president further noted that the initiative could not have come at a more opportune moment, as countries around the world grapple with uncertainties and challenges arising from warfare, pandemics, self-absorbed populism, climate change, and disruptions in new technologies and digital spaces. These, he said, require a serious rethink of existing governance models and values.
He emphasized, **“The African Political Parties Initiative’s vision of a non-partisan and non-ideological inter-party dialogue, with a truly pan-African approach to how political parties reflect on and address the challenges of development, will be an invaluable tool in how Africa embraces its present challenges and turns them into opportunities for growth.
Indeed, this is a groundbreaking initiative that provides a rare opportunity to break cultures of mistrust and deep divisions across political parties, which undermine our ability to confront challenges that require a collective response.”**
He called on political parties across the continent to recognize that their duty goes beyond partisan victories to the advancement of their respective nations. He urged them to reject politics that thrives on polarization, misinformation, and deliberate obstruction of progress simply because an idea does not originate from one’s own party.
Commitment to Political Cooperation
Speaking at the event, the Chair of the Advisory Board of the Africa Governance Centre noted that the African Political Parties Initiative reflects a deep commitment to capacity-building and fostering meaningful interactions among political parties across the continent.
The chairman stressed, “Amidst the multiple challenges posed by geopolitical turmoil, increasing economic marginalization of youth and women, and the failure of governments to address the full consequences of the climate crisis, Africa stands at a crossroads. However, the continent has the potential to offer the world a refreshing perspective on escaping this impasse and finding imaginative ways to secure meaningful and inclusive growth.”
He reiterated that governance must be rooted in cooperation, not conflict, if Africa is to realize its full economic potential.
Vision and Direction of the Initiative
Taking her turn to address the gathering, the Chairperson of the Executive Council of the Africa Governance Centre, Ms. Benedicta Lasi, outlined the vision and direction of the African Political Parties Initiative.
She highlighted the work done by the Centre to advance democracy in Africa and described it as a strategic platform for strengthening democratic governance, economic transformation, political cooperation, institutional development, and regulatory reforms across the continent.
Ms. Lasi also emphasized key strategies of the Africa Governance Centre, including capacity-building and leadership development, policy research, advocacy, knowledge sharing, communication, outreach, public engagement, monitoring, evaluation, and impact assessment.
AU Commissioner’s Remarks
Although not physically present, the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, addressed the gathering virtually.
He highlighted the gains made by African political parties toward democratic advancement, citing the increasing rate of democratic elections and peaceful transfers of power across the continent.
**“We (the African Union) consider the year 2024 a super year for elections.
Fifteen member states held presidential and parliamentary elections seventeen times. That is indeed a record. In many of our electoral processes, we continue to see significant progress in terms of improved electoral practices,”** he said.
Ambassador Adeoye encouraged both continental and global support for the African Political Parties Initiative to consolidate these gains.
Call for Continued Cooperation
In her closing remarks, former Minister of Justice and Foreign Affairs of São Tomé and Príncipe, H.E. Edite Ten Jua—who currently serves as the Executive Secretary of the upcoming African Political Parties Summit—reiterated the need for continued cooperation among political parties on the continent to achieve maximum development for Africa’s people.
Madam Edite also extended gratitude on behalf of the Africa Governance Centre to all attendees, especially the President of Ghana and other high-ranking personalities.
She urged all political players to participate in the main African Political Parties Summit in July 2025, which aims to bring together political parties from across Africa and the Caribbean to chart a progressive path toward development, good governance, and economic transformation.
About the Africa Governance Centre and the Initiative
The Africa Governance Centre is a policy, advocacy, and research think tank dedicated to strengthening governance systems across Africa. It is the convener of the African Political Parties Initiative.
The African Political Parties Initiative is a flagship program of the Africa Governance Centre (AGC) aimed at strengthening democratic governance, political leadership, and party systems across the continent.
Although the highlight of the initiative is the annual Africa Political Parties Summit, scheduled for July this year, it also includes other governance-focused activities such as the Youth in Politics Forum, the Women Political Leadership Summit, the Political Leadership Academy, the Political Parties Governance Index, and the Diaspora Political Parties Exchange.
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