By Daniel Bampoe
Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has warned African leaders to remain vigilant in the face of intensifying geopolitical competition among global powers, stressing that the continent must avoid becoming a pawn in international rivalries.
Delivering the keynote address at the Strategic Meeting of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s African Team and its political partners, on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra, Nana Akufo-Addo underscored the urgent need for Africa to strengthen unity and protect its sovereignty.
The event brought together country representatives of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) from across Africa, as well as board members of the foundation from Berlin, Germany.
It was the climax of the foundation’s annual meeting on the continent. Prior to his speech, the former President held a closed-door meeting at his office in Accra with Prof. Norbert Lammert, former Speaker of the German Parliament and Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, alongside senior officials of KAS Headquarters.
Addressing the gathering, Akufo-Addo reflected on the ongoing shifts in the global political and economic order, noting that power is no longer concentrated in one or two countries.
Instead, he described a multi-polar global environment dominated by the United States, China, Russia, the European Union, India, and the rapidly expanding BRICS alliance, which now counts Egypt and Ethiopia among its new members.
He argued that this competition, while presenting opportunities for new partnerships and investments, also poses serious risks for Africa’s stability and independence.
“With such competition among global powers raging, African nations must elude attempts to turn the continent into an arena of rivalries, where our sovereignty and development aspirations are compromised and subordinated to external interests,” Akufo-Addo cautioned.
The former President urged African governments to respond with a strategic and collective approach, ensuring they are not divided or manipulated by foreign powers.
He emphasized the importance of diversifying partnerships, negotiating fairer terms, and accelerating the continent’s own economic transformation agenda.
Central to his message was the role of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which he described as a vital tool for strengthening intra-African trade and building resilience against external shocks.
“We must use instruments like AfCFTA to integrate our economies, boost industrialization, and reduce dependency on outside powers,” he added.
Akufo-Addo’s intervention comes at a time when analysts have expressed concern about Africa’s growing entanglement in global rivalries, particularly with the continent attracting competing investments from China, the U.S., Russia, and European countries in critical sectors such as energy, infrastructure, and digital technology.
