Ghana’s foreign relations received a significant boost through President John Dramani Mahama’s landmark State Visit to Singapore, which resulted in investment agreements valued at US$1 billion across agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure.
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, presenting the 2026 Budget Statement and Economic Policy, described the visit as a turning point in Ghana’s economic diplomacy, attracting strategic deals to strengthen industrialisation, create jobs, and bolster international confidence in the country’s economic recovery agenda.
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Among the agreements were OLAM’s US$200 million agro-processing facility, Shangri-La’s US$300 million hotel and convention centre project, and high-value infrastructure partnerships in port expansion, aviation, and technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
Dr Forson said these deals positioned Ghana as a hub for trade, tourism, and innovation in Africa. Additional engagements with China yielded cooperation on Artificial Intelligence, Belt and Road Initiative projects, and a US$30 million grant for digital infrastructure, reinforcing Ghana’s technology-driven diplomacy agenda.
Regionally, President Mahama’s visits to Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger strengthened dialogue between the Alliance of Sahel States and ECOWAS, enhancing cooperation and regional security.
Dr Forson emphasised that Ghana’s diplomatic efforts also focused on practical citizen services. Major reforms at the Passport Office included the establishment of 13 Passport Application Centres across nine regions and the rollout of chip-embedded biometric passports with 175 advanced security features, enhancing global credibility and traveller confidence.
Labour mobility agreements were signed with Jordan, Barbados, Qatar, and the UAE, with ongoing negotiations with Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saudi Arabia to create structured overseas employment pathways.
Visa waiver agreements with Morocco, Mozambique, Dominica, and São Tomé and Príncipe were also secured, alongside the restoration of five-year multiple-entry U.S. visas for Ghanaian citizens.
Looking ahead, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will implement its STRIDE initiative to acquire and construct state-owned diplomatic properties abroad, roll out a nationwide E-Visa system, establish two data centres in Accra and Kumasi to connect all missions digitally, and construct 16 permanent Regional Passport Application Centres nationwide.
Dr Forson concluded that these reforms and investment achievements demonstrate how diplomacy drives economic transformation, improves service delivery, and consolidates Ghana’s leadership on the African and global stage, contributing to inclusive growth and expanded opportunities for Ghanaians at home and abroad.
