Ghana’s Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has challenged the notion that foreign aid to Africa is purely an act of charity, arguing that wealth flows out of the continent at a far greater rate than it receives in assistance.
Speaking at Jubilee House on Monday March 17, 2025, during an engagement with students from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), she responded to a question about foreign aid and recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding cuts to assistance for Africa.
“You see, one of the questions he hasn’t asked himself is how much leaves our continent for his [Donald Trump’s] country. They think it’s just charity. It is not,” she stated.
She stressed that if Africa were able to retain even a fraction of the wealth extracted from its resources, challenges such as unemployment and sanitation would be significantly reduced.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang further warned that Africa would no longer tolerate economic imbalances. “At the right time, we’ll also take action. And it will not be funny,” she asserted.
Citing Niger’s recent renegotiation of its mineral contracts, which saw the country’s national revenue surge from $1 billion to over $10 billion in a year, she highlighted the importance of African nations taking control of their economic destinies.
The discussion with students from the Harvard Kennedy School and MIT’s urban planning programme covered a range of topics, including women’s empowerment, climate action, and regional integration in Africa.
On climate justice, the Vice President criticized the disproportionate burden placed on African nations despite their minimal contributions to global emissions. “We are responsible for less than 5% of emissions, yet we are expected to bear the consequences,” she remarked.
She encouraged the students to use their platforms to amplify African perspectives in global discussions.
“We need everybody’s voice. You are from Harvard Kennedy School and MIT, we need your voices too,” she said.
