Ghana and Canada have agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation by exploring structured labour mobility pathways, expanding scholarship opportunities and strengthening collaboration across several strategic sectors.
This follows an official visit to Ottawa by Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, at the invitation of Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Anand.
Mr. Ablakwa and his delegation held what both sides described as a substantive and progressive bilateral meeting with the Canadian Foreign Minister on October 26, 2026, where they discussed a broad range of issues aimed at enhancing ties between the two countries.
The discussions reaffirmed the commitment of Ghana and Canada to forge a stronger partnership within the framework of President John Dramani Mahama’s Reset Agenda and Canada’s Strategic Plan for Africa, which was launched on Ghana’s Independence Day, March 6, last year.
Among the key outcomes of the meeting was a mutual interest in developing structured labour mobility arrangements to create opportunities for skilled workers, as well as increasing scholarship programmes to support education and skills development.
The two countries also agreed to strengthen cooperation in addressing major global and regional challenges, including the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, political instability in Haiti and the growing threat of violent extremism in the Sahel region.
At the multilateral level, Ghana and Canada pledged to work more closely on issues such as reform of the United Nations, climate justice and the restructuring of the global financial architecture, particularly as Ghana prepares to assume the chairmanship of the African Union.
Mr. Ablakwa also expressed appreciation to Canada for hosting Ghana’s senior national football team, the Black Stars, and Ghanaian supporters during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Foreign Affairs Minister noted that Ghana and Canada share longstanding relations dating back 120 years, when missionaries from Canada’s Province of Québec established a church in Navrongo, laying the foundation for enduring people-to-people ties.
To consolidate the outcomes of the discussions, the two ministers signed a Letter of Intent, reaffirming their commitment to deepening and expanding the longstanding relations between Ghana and Canada.
The agreement identifies several priority areas for cooperation, including aviation, railway development, trade facilitation, education, agribusiness, value addition, mining, counterterrorism, renewable energy and artificial intelligence. It also provides a framework for commencing negotiations toward a bilateral defence agreement.
The signing of the Letter of Intent is expected to usher in a new phase of cooperation between Ghana and Canada, with both countries expressing optimism about the future of their longstanding partnership.