Kufuor: Africa Must Turn Its Natural Resources Into Opportunities

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has called on African countries to responsibly develop their natural resources and convert the continent’s resource wealth into tangible opportunities for citizens.

Mr Kufuor said Africa possessed enormous natural advantages, including significant mineral reserves, arable land, oil and gas, renewable energy potential and extraordinary biodiversity.

Speaking at the 2026 Broadcasters Convention, he said Africa held about 30 per cent of the world’s mineral reserves and approximately 65 per cent of its arable land.

He also noted that the continent had minerals that were essential to the technologies of the future and possessed considerable agricultural potential that could contribute to food security in Africa and beyond.

Despite these advantages, Mr Kufuor said Africa needed to do more to ensure that its resources translated into improved lives for its citizens.

“We must know what we have and learn to use it,” he said.

He urged African countries to develop their resources responsibly, educate and empower their people, and make strategic use of the continent’s geographical position.

According to Mr Kufuor, Africa’s location between Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas gives it considerable strategic importance.

He said the continent’s natural resources, youthful population, growing markets and geographical centrality could become major economic advantages if properly harnessed.

Mr Kufuor said the ultimate measure of Africa’s development should be whether its citizens lived in dignity, developed their abilities and participated confidently in the world around them.

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