President John Dramani Mahama secured six key commitments from Russia during the Third Russia‑Africa Summit in Moscow, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. The agreements cover nuclear energy, defence, agriculture, education, security and trade.
The most ambitious pledge is a 2,000‑megawatt nuclear power plant, a project that Ghana has already begun discussing with Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom. The plant is seen as a cornerstone of Ghana’s long‑term energy security and industrialisation goals.
Other commitments include a new defence pact, increased scholarships for Ghanaian students, enhanced agricultural cooperation and the revival of the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation. President Putin also assured that Ghanaians would no longer be recruited, voluntarily or irregularly, for the Russia‑Ukraine war.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov backed Ghana’s application to join BRICS as a partner country, pledging to rally the group’s founding members to build consensus around the move.
During the summit, President Mahama called for stronger economic ties between Africa and Russia, urging that historic political support should translate into mutually beneficial trade and investment. He urged Russian businesses to explore opportunities in Ghana’s cocoa, cashew, horticulture, mineral processing and fertiliser sectors.
Mahama also proposed a Russia‑Africa Digital Innovation and Artificial Intelligence Programme to promote research and technology transfer between universities and businesses, and suggested using local currencies and digital payment systems for bilateral trade to reduce reliance on traditional arrangements.
Moving forward, Ghana will work with Rosatom to advance the nuclear project, while Russian enterprises are invited to invest in high‑value sectors. The new defence pact and the promise to halt recruitment of Ghanaians into the Ukraine conflict are expected to strengthen security cooperation.
