Africa should treat health systems, critical minerals and emerging technologies as early tests of economic sovereignty, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said at the World Economic Forum (WEF), as leaders seek to reposition the continent in a shifting global economy.
Addressing attendees at the Accra Reset side event in Davos, held on the sidelines of the WEF, Obasanjo said the initiative aims to build practical “test beds” and flagship projects that translate political intent into measurable outcomes. Health, he said, offers a clear starting point for redefining Africa’s relationship with development partners.
Obasanjo said the Accra Reset will embed health in a structured North-South dialogue focused on negotiating reforms and investments that expand access to healthcare infrastructure and technology. The approach, he said, reflects a broader effort to replace fragmented aid flows with negotiated, long-term partnerships.
Critical minerals and artificial intelligence are also central to the agenda. Obasanjo urged that Africa must move beyond exporting raw inputs by shaping public-private partnerships that reflect domestic priorities, including the development of sovereign AI models rather than reliance on global technology firms.
The initiative also places emphasis on internal resource mobilisation, alongside incentives for external investment, and on building a new cadre of African negotiators and strategists capable of operating in complex global forums.
The Nigerian former head of state said Africa’s long-standing dependence on donors and external security arrangements has fostered weak coordination and vulnerability to geopolitical shifts. Reversing that trend requires regional cooperation and disciplined execution, rather than isolated national efforts.
Policy exchanges with countries including India, Brazil, Indonesia, South Korea and Singapore are expected to support the process, with the aim of sharing experience on industrialisation, technology and state capacity.
The Accra Reset, backed by African and international partners, will next be advanced at the African Union and other global meetings, as its organisers seek to turn Davos discussions into structured negotiations and investment programmes.
Obasanjo closed by warning that the next phase of global growth will reward preparation and unity, not rhetoric, as competition intensifies across trade, technology and capital.
