The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) has announced that distinguished African statesmen and global development experts will converge in Accra, Ghana, on September 17, 2025, for the 4th edition of its annual Democracy Dialogue.
This year’s dialogue, themed “Why Democracies Die”, will be co-hosted by the Foundation in collaboration with the Government of Ghana. The event will be chaired by former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, while the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, will deliver the keynote address.
Other leaders headlining the gathering include Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama; former Nigerian President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan; former Prime Minister of Burkina Faso and ex-ECOWAS Commission President, Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo; current ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, among others.
Since its launch in 2021, the Democracy Dialogue has become a platform for interrogating the progress, challenges, and sustainability of democratic governance in Africa. Last year’s edition focused on education and featured Prof. Olubayi Olubayi, who advocated for merit-based universities and elite research institutions as anchors of development and technological growth in Africa.
According to Ms. Ann Iyonu, Executive Director of the GJF, the 2025 theme builds on previous discussions around legitimacy, leadership, and democracy’s ability to deliver. She noted: “This is now the time for the Dialogue to boldly pose the hardest question bordering on why democracies die.”
The Foundation said it expects the 2025 Dialogue to provide a platform for political leaders, policymakers, civil society organisations, and academics to examine the erosion of democratic norms in Africa and propose solutions to strengthen governance across the continent.
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