Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, Chairman of Ghana’s National Democratic Congress, was elected the inaugural Chair of the African Political Parties Initiative (APPI) at the summit in Addis Ababa on Saturday, November 7. The decision was made by an interim committee and ratified by all attending political parties.
Accepting the role on behalf of the new leadership, Mr Nketiah thanked the parties for their confidence and vowed to collaborate with fellow leaders to advance APPI’s objectives. He also acknowledged the Africa Governance Centre for creating the platform that brings parties across the continent together.
In his acceptance speech, the NDC Chairman outlined APPI’s focus on building political parties into institutions capable of preparing leaders for effective governance and addressing Africa’s long‑term development needs. He urged parties to move beyond electioneering and invest in structures, expertise and policy knowledge necessary for governing.
Mr Nketiah highlighted the proposed APPI Agenda 2040, which would provide a common framework for developing institutional capacity and leadership to respond to Africa’s changing political and economic landscape. He identified party schools, policy institutes, research bodies and systems for preserving institutional memory as key areas for attention.
The Chair also called for greater participation of women and young people in policy development, resource allocation and decision‑making within parties. He stressed that Africa’s growing population and strategic importance would not automatically translate into prosperity without strong political institutions and effective leadership.
He urged the initiative’s leadership to work with participating parties, regional vice‑chairs, the Africa Governance Centre and its secretariat to advance consultations on the Agenda 2040 and to engage political institutions outside Africa, sharing lessons from liberation struggles, democratic transitions and constitutional development.
APPI’s new leadership will therefore focus on strengthening parties as institutions, fostering inclusive participation, and ensuring that future African leaders inherit robust political structures capable of meeting the continent’s challenges.
