S. Jaishankar Visits Ghana to Advance India-Ghana Comprehensive Partnership

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Accra on October 6, 2026, launching a five-day three-nation African tour focused on critical minerals, agricultural mechanization, and trade ties. Ghanaian officials welcomed him to advance the India-Ghana Comprehensive Partnership following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landmark visit.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar embarked on a five-day official journey across Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ethiopia on October 6, 2026. The diplomatic outreach directly follows New Delhi’s earlier postponement of the fourth India-Africa Summit, which was originally slated for May due to evolving public health situations across parts of the continent.

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Landing in the Ghanaian capital on Tuesday, Jaishankar received a formal welcome from Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa. Their initial discussions centered on elevating bilateral ties to a comprehensive partnership, building directly upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the West African nation in July 2025, which marked the first-ever bilateral trip there by an Indian prime minister.

Jaishankar Meets President Mahama to Discuss Industrial Capacity

During the opening day of his stay, Jaishankar met with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. The talks concentrated heavily on local industrial capacity, job creation, and reducing external aid dependency under the administration’s specific governance framework.

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An honour to call on President John Dramani Mahama @JDMahama of Ghana this afternoon. Conveyed warm greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Dr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India, via X

Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs outlined that cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector will operate strictly within the framework of President Mahama’s Accra Reset philosophy. The strategy also aims to expand the nation’s access to markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Agricultural Research and Scientific Cooperation Pacts

Moving past diplomatic handshakes, the two delegations exchanged two concrete Memoranda of Understanding on Tuesday to advance South-South cooperation. The accords bind research institutions from both nations closer together across distinct scientific fields.

S. Jaishankar Visits Ghana to Advance India-Ghana Comprehensive Partnership — Photo: News18

An agreement between the Zoological Survey of India and the University of Ghana governing academics, scientific research, and capacity building.
A pact linking the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in New Delhi with Ghana’s CSIR-Crops Research Institute for joint agricultural research and education.

Later in the day, Jaishankar joined Ghanaian Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa and Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu in planting a Frangipani sapling. The gesture honored both India’s Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign—launched by Prime Minister Modi on World Environment Day on June 5, 2024—and Ghana’s domestic Tree for Life initiative.

India Remains the Largest Destination for Ghanaian Exports

Official figures show that India accounts for over 70 per cent of total imports from Ghana, creating a positive trade balance for the West African nation primarily driven by gold purchases. India stands among Ghana’s top trading partners and serves as the single largest destination for Ghanaian exports.

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Beyond gold, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ethiopia are all actively expanding their mining sectors to focus on critical minerals alongside traditional extraction.

Destination Country	Primary Indian Imports
Ghana	Gold and primary export commodities
Côte d’Ivoire	Cashews, natural rubber, cotton, and teak wood
Ethiopia	Pulses, flax yarn, precious and semiprecious stones, vegetables, lead articles, oil seeds, spices, and leather

During these bilateral sessions, Jaishankar is also raising the ongoing economic impact of the West Asian and Russia-Ukraine conflicts on food, fuel, fertilizers, and finance—collectively termed the 4F security challenges facing the Global South.

Jaishankar Will Chair Diplomatic Conference in Addis Ababa

Following his engagements in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, Jaishankar will finish his tour in Ethiopia. In Addis Ababa, he is scheduled to chair the Regional Heads of Mission Conference, convening Indian diplomatic envoys stationed throughout the region.