Claim: Video of Mahama speaking at the recent UN General Assembly
Source: Wontumi Communications
Verdict: Misleading
Researched by Nusrat Essah
The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) commenced on September 23, 2025, in New York, under the theme ‘Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.’
Discussions have so far focused on ongoing conflicts, sustainable development, climate change, strengthening of the UN system and the governance of artificial intelligence.
On September 24, 2025, a Ghanaian media outlet, Wontumi Communications, shared a video of President Mahama allegedly delivering his speech at the 80th General Assembly.
RelatedNews
The 2 minutes and 11 seconds video shared on X, and captioned “COVID-19 created our worst recession in 50 years” – John Mahama at the UN General Assembly.” A text imposed on the video read, “REIMAGINING THE ROAD AHEAD. 24th African Business Conference.”
In the video, Mahama speaks about Africa’s average GDP and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the continent’s economy.
The post has gained 27k views, 80 reposts, 349 likes, and 34 comments, including one from a user who said, “He said the same thing in 2022. He has been consistent.”
Fact-Check
Using Google Reverse Search, GhanaFact traced the video to a YouTube channel, Africa Business Conference at HBS, on April 25, 2022, which shared the broadcast of the 24th African Business Conference, organised by the Harvard Business School.
The original video is 32 minutes and 42 seconds long, with President Mahama seen delivering a keynote address at the conference, not the UNGA.
“Data from the Economic Commission of Africa (ECA) shows that COVID-19 created the continent’s worst recession in 50 years, with real GDP shrinking averagely by 3% in 2020. ….The Russia-Ukraine conflict is set to peg Africa’s growth back by an estimation of about 0.7%,” he partly said in the video.
The 2-minute and 11-second video shared by Wontumi Communications is an excerpt from Mahama’s 2022 keynote speech at HBS.
Meanwhile, while the post was made on September 24, 2025, President Mahama addressed the 2025 UN General Assembly the following day, September 25, 2025.
While he wore a suit in the video shared by Wontumi Communication, for the UNGA address, he wore a smock with black trousers and shoes.
Verdict
Therefore, the video shared by Wontumi Communications, to show President Mahama speaking at the UNGA, is misleading.
