British economist Ann Pettifor, a leading voice in global debt reform, is set to deliver the keynote address at the 9th Ghana International Trade and Finance Conference (GITFiC 2025), scheduled to take place from October 29 to November 2 in Accra. The conference will explore Africa’s evolving financial landscape under the themes of the Global Debt Initiative and the AfCFTA Tertiary Students’ Congress.
Pettifor, who rose to international prominence for her groundbreaking work in debt relief campaigns, played a crucial role in helping Nigeria secure one of Africa’s most historic financial deals. Between 2004 and 2005, she worked with Nigeria’s Debt Management Office and then Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to negotiate the clearance of more than $30 billion owed to the Paris Club of official creditors. The agreement, widely hailed as a landmark achievement, gave Nigeria fiscal stability and set a precedent for other developing nations struggling with unsustainable debt.
Her advocacy stretches far beyond Nigeria. As one of the architects of the Jubilee 2000 campaign, Pettifor mobilised world leaders, civil society groups, and faith-based organisations to cancel over $100 billion in external debts owed by 42 of the world’s poorest countries. The campaign reshaped the global discourse on sovereign debt and economic justice, emphasizing that debt forgiveness was not charity—but a moral and economic necessity.
In recognition of her impact, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo honoured Pettifor with the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) in 2002, a distinction rarely awarded to non-Nigerians. Today, she continues her work as Director of Policy Research in Macroeconomics (PRIME), a UK-based think tank focused on sustainable finance and equitable economic policy. She also serves on the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Commission, advising on climate finance and inclusive growth strategies.
At GITFiC 2025, Pettifor will serve as both keynote speaker and lead discussant for sessions on the Global Debt Initiative and the GITFiC Agenda 2031, where she is expected to draw on decades of experience in global finance, advocacy, and development policy.
According to Selasi Kofi Ackom, CEO of GITFiC, Pettifor’s participation underscores the conference’s mission to redefine how Africa engages with the global financial system. “We realised that solutions designed outside Africa for Africans were not helping the continent’s financial architecture,” Ackom said. “That’s why the Global Debt Initiative was created—to promote an integrated, indigenous African financial framework, developed by Africans and for Africans.”
The GITFiC 2025 conference will bring together economists, policymakers, and youth leaders from across the continent to shape conversations around Africa’s debt sustainability and economic transformation—continuing the legacy of thinkers like Pettifor who have long championed fairness in the global financial order.