Africa Prosperity Network to Host High-Level Webinar on Ghana’s 69th Independence Anniversary

The Africa Prosperity Network (APN) will host a high-level webinar on 6 March 2026 to mark Ghana’s 69th Independence Anniversary, bringing together prominent African leaders, policymakers, and cultural figures to discuss the future of the continent’s economic integration.

The event, titled “Ghana @ 69: From Africa’s Independence to Integration,” will examine Africa’s progress toward deeper continental cooperation and economic unity, particularly as 2028 approaches — the target year set under the Abuja Treaty for major milestones in Africa’s economic union.

The conversation draws inspiration from the words of Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president, who declared on 6 March 1957 that Ghana’s independence would only be meaningful if it contributed to the total liberation of Africa. Nearly seven decades later, organizers say that vision remains incomplete.

According to APN, the webinar aims to assess how far Africa has progressed toward integration and what must be done in the coming years to achieve key continental goals.

The event will feature several influential speakers from across politics, media, and culture.

Among them is Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, former Chairperson of the African Union Commission and a key figure in shaping Agenda 2063, the African Union’s long-term development framework.

Also participating is Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Africa Prosperity Network, who has been a strong advocate for economic integration across the continent.

The panel will also include Samia Nkrumah, politician and pan-African advocate and daughter of Ghana’s founding leader, alongside Ras Mubarak, a Ghanaian politician and journalist known for his outspoken views on African unity and governance.

Media and cultural voices will also be part of the discussion. Ambassador Ayanda Ngwane, an African media executive and AU Agenda 2063 Ambassador often referred to as the “Yaya of Africa,” will bring perspectives from her work amplifying African narratives across the continent.

Two leading figures from the African music industry will also join the conversation: Michael Owusu Addo (Sarkodie), one of Ghana’s most influential rappers and entrepreneurs, and Livingstone Etse Satekla (Stonebwoy), a globally recognized Afro-Dancehall artist. Organizers say their participation highlights how cultural exchange already reflects the borderless Africa many leaders envision.

The webinar will focus on the broader goals of the Abuja Treaty, which set out a roadmap for deeper economic integration across Africa, including the creation of a customs union, a common market, free movement of people, and eventually a single currency.

While initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) have been introduced to advance these goals, challenges remain. Trade barriers continue to affect intra-African commerce, and the Free Movement Protocol has yet to be fully ratified by many member states.

APN said the webinar will seek not only to highlight these challenges but also to generate concrete recommendations for accelerating integration. The organizers plan to develop a “2028 Delivery Scorecard” outlining key actions required over the next two years.

The event also forms part of the broader “Make Africa Borderless Now!” campaign, a pan-African movement advocating for the free movement of people, goods, and capital across the continent and calling on governments to fulfil their integration commitments.