On Saturday May 24, 2025, High Commissioner Rosemary Mbabazi, delivered a compelling address at the 2025 edition of AfroTalks, held at the University of Ghana School of Law, challenging African leaders and youth to reimagine the continent’s future- not merely beyond foreign aid, but toward true wealth, dignity, and self-reliance.

Speaking under the theme “Africa Beyond Aid”, High Commissioner Mbabazi urged attendees to look past aid as a destination, arguing instead for a continental shift toward economic sovereignty, innovation, and African-driven solutions.

“Beyond aid is not the destination. Wealth is,” she emphasized. “Not just wealth in GDP numbers, but in dignity… in African solutions for African challenges. That is the Africa we must now build.”

Drawing on Rwanda’s transformational journey, she outlined how the country transitioned from dependency to determination, leveraging aid strategically while building domestic capabilities. Rwanda now funds more than 60% of its national budget through domestic revenues, she noted, attributing this to reforms in taxation, digital governance, and strong anti-corruption measures.

High Commissioner Mbabazi emphasized that the country’s investment in its people- through universal health coverage, education, women’s empowerment, and innovation hubs- has been key to its development journey.

“Rwanda’s story is not exceptional- it is instructive,” she said. “Because the question today is not whether Africa can survive without aid. The real question is whether Africa can afford not to build wealth.”

She urged the audience- particularly the youth- not to accept external definitions of Africa’s limitations, but to instead become creators of value, inventors, and entrepreneurs.

“You are not the leaders of tomorrow. You are the leaders of today… Wealth is not a Western idea. It is an African right. Let us claim it.”

High Commissioner Mbabazi also praised continental efforts like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), describing it as more than just a trade deal, but a pathway to shared prosperity. Rwanda, she said, is actively engaged in intra-African trade, infrastructure co-investment, and cross-border innovation.

In closing, she echoed President Paul Kagame’s 2018 remarks at the African Leadership Forum, emphasizing the need for a renewal of mindset over financial dependency.

“We need to mobilise the right mindsets, rather than more funding… we remain mentally married to the idea that nothing can get moving without external finance,” she quoted Kagame.

The speech was met with a standing ovation from students, academics, and dignitaries present, as AfroTalks once again proved a platform for bold conversations on Africa’s future.