Addis Ababa, October 23, 2026 (FMC) — Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has praised Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as a transformational leader who is advancing the economic prosperity that Africa’s historic liberation struggle was meant to make possible, citing Ethiopia’s visible progress under his leadership as an example of the continent’s development ambitions.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Megech Dam in Gondar, Mahama saluted Abiy on behalf of the people of Ghana for his “very commendable work” and connected his praise of the Ethiopian leader to the wider historical journey of African nations from resistance to colonial domination toward economic transformation.
“These are the transformational leaders we need in Africa,” Mahama said, recalling how earlier African leaders fought colonialism and liberated the continent before stressing the responsibility of today’s leaders to bring economic transformation and prosperity to their people.
“That is exactly what Prime Minister Abiy is doing,” he said, directly linking Ethiopia’s development trajectory under Abiy to the task he described as central to contemporary African leadership.
Mahama also drew on his own experience of visiting Ethiopia to illustrate his assessment of the country’s progress. Since Abiy became Prime Minister, he said, each visit has given him the impression that Ethiopia is changing “year by year by year.”
His remarks placed Abiy’s leadership within a broader continental context: the historic achievement of political liberation must be matched by development that expands prosperity and improves people’s lives. Mahama’s message was that the purpose of liberation cannot end with freedom from colonial rule; it must also find expression in the economic advancement of African societies.
The Ghanaian President’s praise came as he attended the inauguration of the Megech Dam, a project he said had inspired him to revive Ghana’s Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam and Irrigation Project. He described the Ghanaian initiative as a similar undertaking combining irrigation with hybrid solar and hydropower generation, with the capacity to irrigate about 25,000 hectares of land and contribute to Ghana’s food security.
The connection between the two projects gave practical context to Mahama’s wider message. Ethiopia’s experience had not only impressed him as a visitor but also strengthened his resolve to renew a development initiative in his own country.
By linking Abiy’s work to Africa’s unfinished economic mission, Mahama framed Ethiopia’s progress as part of a wider continental aspiration: to build on the legacy of those who secured political freedom and turn that achievement into lasting economic transformation and prosperity.