Ghana and Zambia are taking steps to reposition state diplomacy from largely ceremonial engagements to a more business-driven and investment-focused partnership.
President John Dramani Mahama said this during a two-day official visit to Lusaka aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, economic cooperation and trade between the two countries.
Speaking at a business forum held alongside official engagements with the Zambian President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, President Mahama said both governments were deliberately refocusing diplomatic relations to support private sector collaboration and cross-border investment.
He said the visit reflected a broader policy direction in which political goodwill was being translated into tangible commercial outcomes through structured platforms that connected businesses in both countries.
According to him, state visits were no longer limited to symbolic engagements but were increasingly serving as opportunities to deepen economic relations.
“This visit has not been reduced to ceremonies and banquets because we agreed that our relationship must advance towards an economic development partnership anchored on private sector engagement,” he said.
He explained that bilateral discussions had identified priority sectors for cooperation, while the business forum created opportunities for networking, roundtable discussions and industry-level dialogue.
“We recognised that these engagements allow entrepreneurs to build partnerships that will ultimately underpin relations between our two countries,” he added.
Technology
President Mahama also highlighted the role of technology in enhancing diplomatic engagement, noting that digital platforms had expanded participation and visibility around state activities.
“I observed that developments in communication technology have allowed citizens and businesses to follow our engagements in real time and deepen interaction across borders,” he said.
He noted that Ghana and Zambia had identified complementary strengths in areas such as financial technology, cybersecurity and energy sector reforms.
The President said Ghana’s digital financial ecosystem offered opportunities for collaboration, while Zambia’s energy reforms provided lessons that could inform Ghana’s domestic policy direction.
He cited renewable energy development as one area for policy learning, particularly Zambia’s framework for compensating excess solar power supplied to the national grid.
“I noted that Zambia’s framework for compensating excess solar power supplied to the national grid provides lessons that our energy authorities intend to study closely,” he said.
Beyond energy, President Mahama identified agriculture and trade policy as key areas for deeper cooperation.
“We acknowledged that agricultural seed development and structured import lists create opportunities to expand exports between both countries and strengthen intra-African supply chains,” he stated.
Trade and regional integration
President Mahama said trade and investment flows between Ghana and Zambia remained below their potential and required deliberate policy action to improve outcomes.
He linked the renewed engagement to broader continental integration efforts under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“This dialogue has been positioned as a platform to convert political goodwill into commercial partnerships and to move relations from diplomacy towards deal-making,” he said.
The President also outlined Ghana’s current economic outlook to investors, citing macroeconomic stabilisation and improving confidence indicators.
“I stated that reforms have restored stability, reduced inflationary pressures and strengthened investor sentiment, creating opportunities for partnerships,” he said.
The visit ended with both countries reaffirming their commitment to deepen economic cooperation through institutional collaboration and sustained private sector engagement, signalling a shared resolve to anchor bilateral relations on trade and investment rather than protocol-driven diplomacy.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
