Ghana is abuzz with anticipation as it prepares to host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a two-day state visit, commencing tomorrow, July 2, 2025. This landmark visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in three decades, underscores the deep historical and strategic ties between the two nations.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, addressed the media today, emphasizing the significance of this “highest” form of diplomatic engagement. He highlighted that the visit is a testament to the strong bond of cooperation between Ghana and India.
Prime Minister Modi is expected to arrive in Ghana tomorrow afternoon and will be welcomed at the Presidential Lounge by His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. A full military declaration by the Ghana Armed Forces is to honor the visiting Prime Minister.
Following the welcome, according to Ablakwa, the Prime Minister will hold one-on-one talks with President Mahama at the Presidency. This will be followed by bilateral engagements between delegations led by both leaders. He revealed that discussions are set to focus on critical areas such as agriculture, health, defence cooperation, and the establishment of a Joint Commission. He emphasized that a significant point of discussion will also be Ghana’s ambition to become the vaccine hub for Africa, with India pledging its support.
A number of crucial agreements are expected to be signed on the first day, including Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) on:
Establishment of a Joint Commission
Cooperation between the Institute of Traditional and Authentic Medicine, Ghana’s Institute of Allied Sciences, and India’s Institute of Teaching and Research
Cultural exchange
Cooperation between the Bureau of Indian Standards and the Ghana Standards Authority
Collaboration on Ghana becoming a vaccine hub and
Agricultural and defence cooperation.
Addressing the media, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa added that in the evening of July 2, President Mahama will host a state banquet in Prime Minister Modi’s honor. During this banquet, the President will confer Ghana’s highest national award, the Companion of the Order of the Star of Ghana, on Prime Minister Modi.
This prestigious award has historically been bestowed upon a select few world leaders who have demonstrated strong ties and cooperation with Ghana.
“It promises to be a very busy day. That will not be the end of our engagements. We will be hosted in the evening by President Mahama to a state banquet in his honor.” The Minister affirmed.
“At that state banquet, the President of the Republic of Ghana has decided to confer on Prime Minister Modi our highest national award, the Companion of the Order of the Staff of Ghana. That will be conferred on Prime Minister Modi on the 2nd of July at the state banquet. It is important to report that, historically, Ghana has conferred this highest national honor on a few world leaders based on the strong ties and the bond of cooperation that exists between our two countries.”
On Thursday, July 10, Prime Minister Modi is expected to meet with the Indian community in Ghana and also visit the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park to pay respects, acknowledging the foundational relationship between Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, and India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who together conceived the idea of the Non-Aligned Movement.
The visit will culminate with Prime Minister Modi addressing the Parliament of Ghana at 10 a.m. This is seen as a significant event, highlighting the shared democratic values between the world’s largest democracy and Africa’s vibrant democratic example.
The Minister underscored the deep ancestral ties between Ghana and India, noting that India established a consulate in Ghana in 1953, even before Ghana’s independence in 1957. The special bond between Nkrumah and Nehru, who championed multilateralism and global peace, continues to serve as a beacon for both nations.
Trade relations between Ghana and India are robust, with current bonds valued at $3 billion, rebounding from a pre-COVID high of $4.5 billion. Ghana currently enjoys a positive trade balance with India, largely driven by gold exports, which remain India’s primary interest.
India has also been a steadfast development partner for Ghana. Ablakwa recalled India’s goodwill gesture in reconstructing the seat of government after Ghana attained independence.
Furthermore, India provided a grant for the establishment of Ghana’s first Foreign Service Institute, the first of its kind in West Africa. India has extended lines of credit exceeding $450 million for various impactful projects, including the Rural Electrification Project, the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence for ICT, the Komenda Sugar Plant, and the Elmina Fish Processing Plant. Recent collaborations include the Tema to Mpakadan Standard Gauge Railway Line and the Tamale Waduwale Road.
He concluded by expressing Ghana’s immense delight in hosting Prime Minister Modi, emphasizing that his choice to visit Ghana as the first country in his latest term (after being elected for three consecutive occasions) reflects the growing positive and empathetic relations between the two nations. This state visit, marked by a full military declaration and the conferral of Ghana’s highest national honor, is expected to usher in a new era of strengthened Ghana-India relations.
Story By: Eugenia Ewoenam Osei
