President John Dramani Mahama has been recognized as number 5 on Devex’s list of the 50 most powerful people in the world of development and changemaking.
The recognition, published by Devex, a global platform for international development, cited President Mahama’s championing of the Accra Reset as the reason for his inclusion on the list.
According to Devex, President Mahama has emerged as a leading voice pushing for a new deal for African development, shaping debates on debt relief, trade reform, and climate finance.
The platform stated that the President argues Africa must renegotiate its place in the global economic order rather than simply adapt to declining aid.
Devex noted that in August last year, President Mahama hosted a group of African leaders, policymakers, and global health experts in Accra, where they launched a new vision toward African health sovereignty rooted in national ownership and more equitable global cooperation.
The group reconvened during the U.N. General Assembly in September to expand the framework beyond health to development more broadly, and to move beyond the African continent to serve as a global agenda.
They dubbed it the “Accra Reset,” an effort to declare an end to the era of development-as-usual and to push for the creation of new governance, business, and financing models in response to U.S. aid cuts.
“Mahama has served as the leading, hands-on advocate of this new vision, with former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo advising him,” Devex stated.
The platform described President Mahama’s backstory, noting that he assumed the presidency of Ghana in January 2025 in his second term, though not his second consecutive term.
He was previously elected in 2012 but lost a reelection bid in 2016. Devex stated that he had also served as vice president, in parliament, and in ministerial roles, and was the first cochair of the United Nations Advocacy Group on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
