Ghana has called on African Union (AU) Member States to take decisive steps towards achieving financial independence for the continental body, urging countries to mobilise domestic resources and strengthen African financial institutions to reduce reliance on external funding.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, made the call at the Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council on Financing the African Union in Accra on Friday, November 13, 2026.
Addressing Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Finance, heads of AU institutions and other delegates, Mr Ablakwa said Africa must move beyond making ambitious declarations to taking concrete actions that would ensure the continent finances its own priorities.
He noted that although Member States were projected to finance nearly 99 per cent of the AU’s operational budget in 2027, they contributed barely four per cent of the programme budget and approximately 12 per cent of the peace and security budget.
He described the situation as unsustainable, stressing that Africa could not continue to depend on external partners to finance programmes critical to its development, peace and security.
The Foreign Affairs Minister disclosed that only 18 of the AU’s 55 Member States had implemented the 0.2 per cent levy on eligible imports agreed upon in 2016 to provide a predictable source of funding for the Union.
He also cited a 63 per cent vacancy rate across more than 3,000 approved positions within the AU, alongside a funding shortfall exceeding US$200 million between the approved staff structure and the budget allocated to support it.
Mr Ablakwa said Ghana strongly supported Option C, the integrated pathway for financing and reform, which seeks to advance financial autonomy alongside institutional efficiency.
He called for the elimination of duplication, the phasing out of overlapping programmes and the adoption of a unified programme-based budget, a medium-term expenditure framework and the principle of one programme per budget line.
On peace and security, he emphasised the need to prioritise conflict prevention through stronger early-warning systems, preventive diplomacy and mediation.
He said Ghana supported increasing the African Union Peace Fund’s endowment target from US$400 million, with a replenishment mechanism and diversified funding sources, while accelerating the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) to ensure predictable financing for African-led peace support operations.
The Minister also welcomed the proposed partnership between the African Union Commission and the Alliance of African Multilateral Financial Institutions, aimed at mobilising African resources to finance the continent’s development.
The partnership seeks to double the capital and financing capacity of participating institutions within three to five years, mobilise an additional US$200 billion in financing, investment, insurance, guarantees and risk mitigation over the next decade, and achieve continent-wide participation by 2030.
Mr Ablakwa further announced that Ghana would deposit its instruments of ratification for the establishment of African Union financial institutions by 2027.
He urged other Member States to take at least one concrete step towards ratification before the next meeting, describing the African Central Bank, African Monetary Fund and African Investment Bank as essential pillars of the continent’s financial independence.
He announced that Ghana, upon assuming the Chairmanship of the African Union in 2027, would convene an Extraordinary Summit on African Financial Institutions in Accra to advance efforts towards building, capitalising and operationalising the institutions.
As part of proposals for the meeting, Ghana also called for the adoption of an Accra Declaration on Financing the Union, outlining six key commitments, including implementation of the import levy, adoption of a unified programme-based budget, capitalisation of the Peace Fund towards a US$1 billion target and a review of Member States’ contribution arrangements.
The proposed declaration also seeks to institutionalise the partnership with African multilateral financial institutions and establish a time-bound implementation framework with clearly defined responsibilities, milestones and reporting mechanisms.
Mr Ablakwa stressed that financial reforms must also consider the needs of women, young people and underrepresented groups, insisting that an adequately financed African Union was essential to delivering meaningful development outcomes for its people.
He recalled Ghana’s historic role in Africa’s liberation struggle, referencing Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s vision that Ghana’s independence would be meaningless unless linked to the total liberation of Africa.
He said the continent’s financial independence must similarly be linked to the full empowerment of African people.
The Minister urged delegates to ensure that the Accra meeting translated into concrete commitments and implementation, rather than another declaration without measurable results.
Story by: Eric Boateng
