Nana Akufo-Addo, the immediate past President of Ghana, urged African nations to work together to address their challenges during a book launch honoring former Nigerian military president General Ibrahim Babangida in Abuja on Thursday.
Akufo-Addo emphasized that African countries should not depend on foreign aid, pointing to the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence that nations prioritized their own needs before offering assistance. He highlighted how countries like Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa, and Rwanda have begun producing their own vaccines as a step toward self-reliance.
He also noted that the pandemic exposed critical gaps in healthcare infrastructure across the continent, prompting some governments to invest in hospital construction. The event drew prominent figures, including President Bola Tinubu, former President Goodluck Jonathan, ex-Head of State Yakubu Gowon, and Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Jonathan praised Babangida, asserting that Nigeria’s history remains incomplete without his contributions, as celebrated in the memoir launch.