As African nations commemorated Africa Day 2025, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama, has called on the continent and its diaspora to unite in the pursuit of justice for historical wrongs committed against Africans and people of African descent.
Addressing fellow leaders, civil society, and citizens across the continent and beyond, President Mahama declared this year’s celebration especially momentous.
“As we gather in Addis Ababa and connect across our vast continent and beyond, we celebrate our resilience, our rich heritage, and our unwavering spirit. This year’s celebration is particularly significant. The African Union has declared 2025 a year for justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations.
As the sitting President of Ghana and AU-appointed Champion for Reparations, President Mahama reaffirmed his personal and political commitment to ensuring that Africa’s quest for justice is pursued with clarity, unity, and resolve.
He argued that the call for reparations is not an appeal for pity but a legitimate demand for the acknowledgement of historical wrongs and the restoration of African dignity, sovereignty, and economic independence.
“Reparations are not merely about financial compensation – they are about acknowledging the profound and enduring damage inflicted upon our people. They are about confronting the uncomfortable truths of our past and taking concrete steps to rectify these wrongs.”
Reparations Agenda:
President Mahama’s message outlined a bold and comprehensive reparations agenda. Central to this vision is the demand for official and unequivocal apologies from former colonial powers and institutions that enabled the trans–atlantic slave trade and its aftermath.
Such apologies, he explained, must be accompanied by action. He called for the cancellation of crippling debt burdens that continue to inhibit economic growth in many African nations—burdens he described as the direct legacy of exploitative colonial and post-colonial systems.
President Mahama also demanded the return of stolen African artefacts and cultural treasures, many of which remain housed in Western museums and private collections, symbolizing a lingering theft of Africa’s soul.
He further underscored the importance of investments in education and historical truth-telling, urging for curriculum reforms and public initiatives that promote a deeper understanding of African history, culture, and global contributions.
He called for capacity-building partnerships that empower African nations to pursue sustainable development and take their rightful place in the global economic order.
“This is not a simple task, It requires courage, determination, and a unified front. It requires us to engage in meaningful dialogue with those responsible and to advocate tirelessly for our rights.”
Appeal for Support:
President Mahama issued a strong appeal to fellow African leaders, civil society organisations, youth groups, and the global African diaspora to stand together in this historic undertaking, stressing that only a coordinated and relentless campaign would compel the international community to respond with sincerity and justice.
“Let us work together to build a future where justice prevails, where the wounds of the past are healed, and where the potential of every African and person of African descent is fully realised.”
President John Mahama’s speech marks a turning point in how Africa Day is observed—not just as a celebration of continental identity, but as a platform for transformative justice.
His leadership in placing reparations on the AU’s agenda reinforces Ghana’s longstanding tradition of Pan-African advocacy, dating back to Kwame Nkrumah, the country’s founding President and one of the original visionaries of African unity.
Reparative justice demands have been gaining momentum on a global scale. With the introduction of limited restitution initiatives or symbolic apologies, some Western governments and institutions have recently started to admit their roles in colonialism and the slave trade.
However, it became evident from President Mahama’s speech that Africa wants a more thorough, organized accountability process that righted historical wrongs and gave Africans their agency back.
Mahama’s speech serves as a call to action for justice, dignity, and redress as the continent forges ahead under the 2025 AU reparations theme.
It calls on the world to shift from symbolism to substance. Africans themselves are also challenged to maintain their resolve, solidarity, and strategic thinking in order to assert their legitimate position in history and the future.
“Let Africa Day 2025 be a turning point,” President Mahama concluded. “Let it mark the moment we reclaimed our narrative and demanded the justice we deserve.”