The African leaders, who gathered in Accra, signed a declaration on October 28, 2026 setting out 19 commitments, including acknowledging the consequences of the transatlantic slave trade, promoting reparative justice and strengthening ties with the African diaspora.
Signed in their personal capacities by participants in the presidential round-table held as part of the Elevate Africa Convening 2026, the Accra Declaration calls, among other things, on states and institutions that benefited from the transatlantic slave trade to take steps towards reparations.
These could include official apologies, the return of cultural artefacts and ancestral remains, the opening of archives and investment in affected communities.
The document also advocates facilitating the return of Africans from the diaspora through measures relating to citizenship, residency, access to land and recognition of professional qualifications.
On the economic front, the signatories call for faster implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the promotion of free movement of people, goods and services, and the removal of barriers to trade between African countries.
They also propose reducing the cost of remittances from the diaspora to below 3% by 2030 and encourage the creation of financial instruments to mobilise diaspora investment across the continent.
The declaration also emphasises the protection of African creators’ intellectual property, digital sovereignty, the governance of artificial intelligence and better use of the continent’s mineral and natural resources.
The signatories further pledged to promote governance based on transparency and public accountability, as well as the participation of young people, women and persons with disabilities in decision-making bodies.
They called on African heads of state and government, the African Union (AU), the AfCFTA Secretariat and regional economic communities to support these commitments and translate them into national and continental policies.
Elevate Africa, designated as the declaration’s secretariat, will oversee a monitoring mechanism. A progress report is to be prepared within 12 months of the signing and presented at the next edition of the gathering.
The initiative forms part of the discussions in Accra on Africans’ ability to set their own priorities and development paths. Topics included leadership, governance, economic integration, youth, creative industries and the diaspora’s contribution to the continent’s development.
At the opening ceremony, Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri in Nigeria, urged leaders to measure their legacy by the opportunities they pass on to future generations.
The Speakers also stressed the need to make better use of African talent, improve access to financing and markets, and protect the continent’s cultural creations.
The Accra gathering was the third edition of the annual event, following meetings in Abuja in 2024, under the theme “The Africa We See”, and in Gaborone in 2025.
The next edition is scheduled to take place in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in 2027.
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