Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has blasted US President Donald Trump over his remarks on cutting foreign aid to Africa.
Speaking at a meeting with students from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at Jubilee House on Monday, she challenged the perception that foreign aid to Africa is a one-sided act of charity.
“You see, one of the questions he hasn’t asked himself is how much leaves our continent for his [Donald Trump’s] country. They think it’s just charity. It is not,” she said.
“If even a fraction of what is taken from our continent remained, we wouldn’t have issues with unemployment, sanitation, or many other challenges.”
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang warned that Africa would not continue to accept economic imbalances.
“At the right time, we’ll also take action. And it will not be funny,” she stated. She referenced Niger’s recent decision to renegotiate its mineral contracts, which saw its national revenue rise from $1 billion to over $10 billion in a year.
The Vice President also touched on the issue of climate justice, pointing out the unfair burden placed on African nations despite their minimal contributions to global emissions.
“We are responsible for less than 5% [of emissions], yet we are expected to bear the consequences,” she noted.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang encouraged the students to amplify African perspectives in global conversations.
“We need everybody’s voice. You are from Harvard Kennedy School and MIT, we need your voices too,” she urged.
The meeting was part of a discussion that brought together students from Harvard Kennedy School and MIT’s urban planning programme, covering a range of issues, including women’s empowerment, climate action, and regional integration in Africa.
-BY Daniel Bampoe
