Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called for greater African representation in global governance systems, stressing that international institutions must evolve to reflect contemporary realities and maintain legitimacy in a rapidly changing world.

Delivering the keynote address at the Oxford Africa Conference 2026 at the University of Oxford, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the continued exclusion of Africa from major global decision-making structures, particularly the United Nations Security Council, has created an imbalance between global power and the institutions through which that power is exercised.

“If institutions and indeed democracy are to remain legitimate, they must remain responsive to contemporary realities,” the Vice President stated. “For many African states, the continued absence of meaningful African representation within key global decision structures, particularly the United Nations Security Council, remains a source of growing imbalance.”

Addressing participants at the conference themed “Anchoring Africa: Grounded Leadership in the Age of Disruption,” the Vice President argued that legitimacy in governance is determined not only by representation, but also by the ability of institutions to deliver tangible outcomes for citizens.

She noted that governments across much of the developing world continue to operate within difficult structural conditions, including high borrowing costs, debt burdens, and unequal access to international finance, factors she said limit the ability of states to deliver growth, stability, and opportunities at the scale citizens increasingly expect.

According to Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, one of the defining governance challenges of the current era is whether both national and international institutions can adapt quickly enough to remain credible amid accelerating global change.

“This is one of the defining governance questions of our time: whether institutions, national and international alike, can adapt quickly enough to remain credible amid accelerating change while serving their people,” she said.

The Vice President further underscored the need for leadership that remains grounded in accountability, inclusion, and institutional renewal, warning that not every disruption automatically translates into progress.

The Oxford Africa Conference, organised by the Oxford University Africa Society, brings together policymakers, academics, business leaders, diplomats, innovators, and students to deliberate on Africa’s development and role in shaping global conversations on governance, leadership, and economic transformation.