President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Zambia following high level talks with President Hakainde Hichilema at the State House in Lusaka.
The engagement formed part of President Mahama’s three-day state visit, which he said was aimed at rekindling historic ties and repositioning cooperation between the two countries toward economic transformation and shared prosperity.
Speaking after discussions with his Zambian counterpart, President Mahama expressed gratitude for the warm reception he and his delegation received on arrival. He said the enthusiasm shown by Zambians and the Ghanaian community resident in the country made the visit feel like a homecoming.
According to him, the presence of Ghanaians at the airport, coupled with music and dance, reflected the strong bonds between the two nations and their peoples.
President Mahama noted that the meeting at State House provided an opportunity to review and deepen bilateral relations, which he described as historic and rooted in the shared struggles of Africa’s liberation era.
“As you rightly said, Mr. President, the relations between Ghana and Zambia have been historic based on the early relations between our two Presidents. President Kounda and President Nkrumah were friends and comrades in the African liberation struggle”.
Ghana’s President HE John Dramani Mahama
He said Ghana became a hub for liberation movements after independence, inspired by Nkrumah’s belief that Ghana’s freedom was incomplete without the total liberation of the continent.
Ghana at 70 after Independence
Reflecting on Ghana’s approaching seventieth anniversary of independence, President Mahama said the vision of Africa’s early leaders remains relevant today. He argued that the divisions imposed on the continent during the colonial era have slowed development and limited prosperity.
According to him, these realities make a stronger case for African unity and closer cooperation, not only at the continental level but also through deliberate bilateral partnerships between countries.
President Mahama said his discussions with President Hichilema on his three-day state visit focused on strengthening Ghana-Zambia relations beyond traditional political engagement.
While acknowledging the importance of continental institutions such as the African Union, he stressed that practical bilateral cooperation can deliver tangible benefits more quickly. He said both leaders agreed that closer ties across regions would allow countries to respond more effectively to shared challenges and opportunities.
The President also conveyed appreciation from the Ghanaian community in Zambia, whom he met earlier during the visit. He said they asked him to thank the Zambian government for the hospitality extended to them, noting that many Ghanaians feel settled and accepted in the country.
President Mahama observed that some families reflect the depth of integration between the two nations, with Ghanaian and Zambian spouses forming households that embody African unity in everyday life.
Ghana-Zambia Economic Similarities
Turning to economic issues, President Mahama pointed out that Ghana and Zambia are currently on similar paths, having both faced economic challenges that required debt restructuring and engagement with official creditor committees.
He said the two countries are implementing reforms under an IMF program aimed at restoring fiscal stability and economic growth, creating an opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences.
“And so in that sense, Zambia and Ghana are on the same trajectory. So there is a lot that we can learn from each other and a lot of experiences we can share.”
Ghana’s President HE John Dramani Mahama
He said the bilateral talks covered a wide range of sectors, including mining, agriculture, and trade. In the mining sector, President Mahama noted that both Ghana and Zambia face comparable challenges involving artisanal and small scale mining alongside large multinational operations.
He said the two leaders discussed ways of sharing experiences and best practices to manage the sector more effectively while protecting national interests and local communities.
Agriculture also featured prominently in the discussions. President Mahama said both countries are grappling with similar issues related to production, value addition, and cross border marketing of agricultural products.
While welcoming progress on the African Continental Free Trade Area, he cautioned that continental trade cannot thrive in isolation. According to him, strong bilateral arrangements are needed to identify specific products for exchange and to create the conditions that allow trade to flourish.
President Mahama said Ghana and Zambia intend to elevate their cooperation beyond existing frameworks such as the Permanent Joint Commission. He explained that while such mechanisms remain important, they must be complemented by more dynamic arrangements that promote real time collaboration and economic integration.
He suggested that an enhanced economic partnership framework could allow the two countries to share experiences directly across sectors and respond swiftly to emerging opportunities. He emphasized that the goal is to move beyond dialogue and translate political goodwill into concrete economic outcomes.
Benefits from Bilateral Relations
According to President Mahama, deeper bilateral economic relations will support industrial growth, boost trade, and create jobs, contributing to long term prosperity for both nations.
He said this approach reflects the spirit of cooperation championed by Ghana and Zambia’s founding leaders and adapts it to contemporary economic realities.
President Mahama described the talks with President Hichilema as productive, noting that both leaders were aligned on the direction of future cooperation. He said the time spent together allowed them to cover substantial ground and reach a shared understanding on priorities.
In his view, the discussions marked the beginning of a renewed partnership focused on winning what he described as the next battle, economic transformation. As he concluded his remarks, President Mahama thanked President Hichilema for the invitation and expressed confidence that the visit would strengthen relations between the two countries.
He extended a renewed invitation to the Zambian leader to visit Ghana during his tenure, acknowledging the demands of the upcoming electoral period in Zambia and wishing him well. President Mahama said he looked forward to celebrating future milestones together as partners committed to Africa’s progress.
The state visit underscored Ghana’s intent to pursue diplomacy that combines historical solidarity with practical economic collaboration. For President Mahama, rekindling the spirit of early African cooperation is not only a tribute to the past but a strategy for building a more prosperous future for Ghana, Zambia, and the continent as a whole.
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