Modi Stops Over in Ghana on Way to BRICS Summit 2025
On his way to Rio to attend the 17th BRICS Summit 2025 (#BRICS2025), Indian PM Narendra Modi undertook a state visit to Ghana from 2 to 3 July 2025. Modi is undertaking a 5-nation tour — including Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia — as part of this overseas mission which centers around his attendance at the BRICS Summit 2025 in Rio.
Since 1994, India has invested a total of USD 2.2 billion, mostly in the pharma, auto, and manufacturing sectors of Ghana, while Ghanaian investments into India only amounts to USD 8 million since 2000. In 2023, India climbed up the ranking to be listed as the 3rd largest source of #FDI into Ghana. In fact, Indian auto makers Tata, Ashok Leyland and Mahindra all have assembly plants in Ghana.
Bilateral trade reached USD 3 billion in 2024 with Ghana enjoying a trade surplus thanks to significant gold exports to India. The Export and Import (EXIM) Bank of India has provided a concessional line of credit worth USD 1 billion to Ghana in support of irrigation, water, sanitation, agriculture, and rural electrification.
In May 2024, Ghana and India have also signed an agreement to integrate India’s Unified Payment Interface (#UPI) into the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement System (#GHIPSS) to facilitate cross-border transfers.
India and Ghana are also partnering to foster #digitalization through the Kofi Annan #ICT Centre which ambitions to become a supercomputer and #AI center of excellence in West Africa. The Indian National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT) has initially set up an academy in Ghana which has morphed into OpenLabs Ghana.
Landing in the capital Accra, PM Modi was welcomed by Ghanaian President John Mahama. Then, the two leaders had a working session at the Jubilee House. Both sides agreed to elevate bilateral ties to the level of a Comprehensive Partnership. In that logic, the two leaders witnessed the signing of four MoUs to reinforce cooperation as follows:
- Establish Joint Commission
- Foster Traditional Medicine
- Boost Cultural Exchanges
- Harmonize Standards
PM Modi also paid tribute to Nkrumah, one of the proponents of PanAfricanism, the core concept which led to the eventual creation for the African Union. Modi recalled how India played a key role to make the #AU a permanent member of the #G20. Then, President John Mahama personally conferred upon PM Narendra Modi the highest honor of the land, ‘The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana’.
In a tweet on X, Modi highlighted that exploratory talks with Mahama touched upon #FinTech and Healthcare. In the future, both countries see ‘immense scope’ in the fields of on #CriticalMinerals, Energy, Defense and #MaritimeSecurity.