Mahama secures more scholarships for Ghanaian students from Russia

Russia has agreed to increase the number of scholarships available to Ghanaian students following talks between President John Mahama and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.

The ministry said the commitment was among six key outcomes of Mahama’s engagements with Putin on the sidelines of the recently concluded Russia-Africa Summit in Russia.

Ghana currently ranks second among African countries with the highest number of students in Russia, according to the ministry.

In a social media post on Monday, November 2, the ministry said the two countries had agreed to strengthen their cooperation in education as part of efforts to deepen bilateral relations.

“Russia will increase scholarships for Ghanaian students. Ghana now ranks second as the African nation with the highest number of students,” the ministry stated.

Beyond education, the ministry said Russia had also agreed to work with Ghana towards establishing a 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant to support the country's energy security and industrialisation.

The proposed project, it said, would revive the vision of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, whose nuclear energy plans were interrupted following the 1966 coup.

The ministry also announced plans for a new defence pact to facilitate the acquisition of strategic military assets for the Ghana Armed Forces.

Other areas of cooperation include agriculture, particularly efforts to increase grain production and improve access to fertilisers.

The ministry further said Putin had agreed, following concerns raised by Mahama, that Ghanaians would no longer be allowed to participate in the Russia-Ukraine war, whether through irregular recruitment or voluntary enlistment.

It added that the two countries had agreed to revive their Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC), with Moscow expected to host the next meeting in the coming weeks.