Vice-President Kashim Shettima has called for African-led solutions to the continent’s economic challenges, stressing that sustainable growth must be driven from within rather than imposed from outside.
Shettima made the remarks at a high-level meeting of the Accra Reset Initiative, held on the sidelines of the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
He described the Accra Reset Initiative as a bold attempt to redefine Africa’s shared future through cooperation led by Africans themselves, anchored on sovereignty, self-belief and collective responsibility.
According to the vice-president, the initiative represents both a call to action and a mindset shift for African nations — moving “from dependency to dignity, from aid to investment, and from rhetoric to results.”
“It is a call to prosper together,” Shettima said, expressing confidence that if African countries embrace this vision, the continent would experience an economic boom built on innovation, industry and interdependence rather than volatile commodity cycles.
He noted that only by strengthening domestic productive capacity can African nations transform their population size and natural endowments into durable and resilient wealth.
Rather than waiting for prosperity to be delivered from outside, Shettima said Africa must generate and earn it locally.
The vice-president added that Africa is no longer on the margins of global development but is increasingly central to the world’s demographic and economic future.
Citing Nigeria as an example, Shettima said the Dangote Refinery in Lagos is steadily repositioning the country after decades of fuel importation.
“After years as a net importer of value, Nigeria is on the brink of becoming a net exporter of refined fuel, driven by Africa’s largest refinery,” he said, adding that Africa’s rise will come not from applause, but from deliberate efforts to build and produce.