President John Dramani Mahama has held bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba aimed at strengthening cooperation between Ghana and Japan in key strategic areas.
According to Mr. Mahama, discussions focused on three major sectors—cocoa and value addition, infrastructure development, and people-to-people ties. With Ghana accounting for about 70 percent of Japan’s cocoa imports, he extended an invitation for Japanese investment and a public–private partnership with the Cocoa Processing Company to help revamp the plant and boost value addition in Ghana.
Talks also centered on the Volivo Bridge project over the Volta Lake, a critical transport link that would ease the movement of yams, maize, and other produce from the northern parts of Ghana to markets in the south.
The president expressed appreciation for Japan’s earlier support of JPY 11.239 billion signed in 2016, while reiterating Ghana’s appeal for additional grant funding to close the remaining 64 percent procurement gap and accelerate completion.
The meeting further highlighted historic ties between the two nations, noting the upcoming centenary of Dr. Hideyo Noguchi’s arrival in Ghana and the 50th anniversary of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) in 2027.
Japan,
Mr. Mahama stated, reaffirmed its commitment to infrastructure partnerships and pledged to work with Ghana to find solutions to funding challenges.
The two leaders also discussed multilateral cooperation, including Japan’s backing for its candidate Masahiko Metoki for Director General of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) International Bureau, as well as ongoing debates on reforming the United Nations Security Council.
Mr. Mahama expressed gratitude for Japan’s continuous friendship and emphasized that the renewed partnership must translate into “concrete next steps that deliver jobs, value addition, and connectivity for Ghanaians.”
