Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa, on Wednesday received the letters of accreditation of Halima Hashi, the African Development Bank Group's (AfDB) newly appointed Country Manager for Ghana, in a ceremony that underscored the depth of a bilateral relationship stretching back more than five decades.
Minister Ablakwa expressed Ghana's "great respect and deep appreciation" for the AfDB's development impact since 1973, citing specific support for the government's flagship programmes -- including the 'Big Push' infrastructure agenda, the Feed Ghana agricultural initiative, the Eastern Corridor Road project, artificial intelligence initiatives, and irrigation interventions.
Ghana currently hosts an active AfDB portfolio valued at approximately $1.3 billion, reflecting sustained cooperation across key sectors. The minister also underscored the role of President John Mahama, noting his leadership as the African Union Champion for African Financial Institutions, his advocacy for financial sovereignty, and his efforts to retain African capital to fund infrastructure development on the continent.
In her remarks, Ms Hashi described Ghana as a key partner in the Bank's operations, reaffirming her commitment to supporting the country's economic transformation agenda. She noted that the AfDB's Country Strategy Paper aligns closely with government priorities, particularly efforts to drive economic recovery, create jobs and promote inclusive growth under the "Resetting Ghana" framework.
The Bank's interventions in Ghana span strategic sectors including infrastructure, agriculture value chains, energy, water and sanitation, and private sector development. According to Ms Hashi, these investments have strengthened productivity, enhanced regional connectivity and improved service delivery. She also welcomed the government's infrastructure-focused "Big Push" initiative, describing it as aligned with the Bank's objective of scaling up investment to boost growth and competitiveness.
Ms Hashi further pointed to the AfDB's recently launched New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD)-- also known as the Abidjan Consensus -- as a key step toward mobilising domestic financial resources and strengthening Africa's financial systems. She said the framework is designed to channel increased investment into priority sectors such as infrastructure, industry and trade.
As host of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area, Ghana is well positioned to leverage the new financial architecture to attract investment, deepen regional integration and accelerate industrialisation, she added.
