Africa Should Stop 'Begging' & Develop Itself to Earn 'Respect,' Ghana's President Says

Nana Akufo-Addo delivered his speech at the opening event of the US-Africa Leaders' Summit in Washington, DC. The summit, taking place for the second time in history, involves 49 delegations from African states as well as one from the African Union.

Africa will earn global respect and improve the external perception of the continent if it stops "begging" the West, Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo said.

"If we stop being beggars and spend African money inside the continent, Africa will not need to ask for respect from anyone, we will get the respect we deserve. If we make it prosperous as it should be, respect will follow," he noted.

The president also called for solidarity between African nations. He added that the continent's skills and manpower are enough to make "Africa work" – what the continent needs is political will.

"Africans are more resilient outside the continent than inside. We must bear in mind that to the outside world, [there's] nothing like Nigeria, Ghana or Kenya, we are simply Africans. Our destiny as people depends on each other," Akufo-Addo said.

Earlier, several African development finance organizations urged the continent's states not "mortgage their future" to foreign lenders. Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank Group, advised the continent's countries to be more cautious when borrowing funds – in order to prevent debt crises.

Adesina also underlined that Africa suffers from inadequate investment climate ratings, while in reality the continent is "not as risky as you think."