New Ghana-Zambia partnership geared towards economic transformation — Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has described his three-day state visit to Zambia as a milestone in strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.

He said the visit went beyond the usual diplomatic engagements, focusing on practical steps to enhance economic cooperation.

Speaking in an end-of-visit interview on Friday, February 6, the President highlighted the historic relationship between Ghana and Zambia, rooted in the shared liberation struggles of the two nations.

“I want to first thank the Zambian people for the warm welcome we got, and to thank President [Hakainde] for his invitation… Normally, visits are just diplomatic, to forge closeness between countries. But this has gone beyond a normal state visit with the way it was structured,” Mahama said.

He added that discussions during the visit revealed areas where both countries could leverage their comparative advantages to foster growth and economic transformation.

“We found similarities between our two countries. We’ve both faced economic crises and instituted difficult reforms, and these reforms are beginning to yield fruits. So we decided that permanent joint commissions are not enough — we must enhance the partnership between Ghana and Zambia to a whole new level,” he noted.

The President emphasized that the collaboration aims to move beyond political independence to achieving economic independence, transformation, and prosperity for citizens of both countries.

He described the visit as an opportunity to learn best practices, sign strategic MOUs, and deepen practical cooperation across key sectors.