10 quotes from Akufo-Addo’s speech at the UN General Assembly

President Nana Akufo-Addo addressed world leaders at the 74th session of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.

This year’s theme is “Galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion”.

Among other things, the President underscored the need for a fairer trading attitude among developed and developing nations.

Here are 10 statements from his speech

For us [in Africa], poverty is a daily reality that we live with and feel…and it robs us of the dignity that should be the inherent right of every human being.



Poverty anywhere degrades us all, whether in the developed or developing world.

The competition to gain control over these minerals has also often led to insecurity in our countries.

Unfairness in the economic order undermines the fight against poverty.

The flight of capital is continuing the foreign exploitation of Africa, represented by colonialism and imperialism.

The African Continental Free Trade Area…will be the world’s largest free trade area since the formation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)

Wherever quality education is available, there is usually prosperity.

To be able to benefit from opportunities made possible by technology, we need to raise our infrastructure to a basic, minimum level. We need to provide reliable electricity and internet services to the people in our towns and villages, and, then, they can truly join in the benefits of the technology that bring quality education to all. We can then have a realistic expectation of a prosperous future.

The General Assembly of the United Nations is usually held at the time of year when the extremes of nature are on display around the world. Maybe we are being urged to take notice, and hopefully take practical and proactive steps to curb the human activities that are endangering our planet.

In my part of the world, we do not argue over what constitutes poverty. We know it, we live with it, feel it and it is a daily reality.

Source: Myjoyonline.com