Canada and Ghana have agreed to advance work on a new economic cooperation framework covering renewable energy, mining, critical minerals and infrastructure.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and President John Dramani Mahama endorsed the initiative during a meeting at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday, November 3.
A statement from Mr Carney’s office said the proposed framework would create commercial opportunities for Canadian workers and companies. It has not yet been formally established, however.
The two leaders noted that a Letter of Intent had recently been signed, which the Canadian statement said “will guide work toward” the wider agreement. It did not identify the signatories or give the date on which it was signed.
The statement said merchandise trade between Canada and Ghana increased by 50 per cent last year, while Canadian exports to Ghana rose by 35 per cent over the same period.
Those figures differ from data cited in July by Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana Myriam Montrat, who said two-way trade reached US$752 million in 2025, representing a 56 per cent increase.
The figures are based on different measurements. The data from Mr Carney’s office covers merchandise trade alone, while Ms Montrat’s total includes both goods and services.
Ghana was Canada’s eighth-largest merchandise trading partner in Africa in 2025, according to Global Affairs Canada. Canadian exports to Ghana include cereals, machinery, transport equipment, pharmaceuticals and other industrial goods. Ghana mainly exports cocoa and cocoa products, gold and soya beans to Canada.
At the July event, Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr John Jinapor, said the relationship should be based “increasingly on commercial viability, technology transfer, and capital formation”.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa met his Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, in Ottawa on October 26, according to Global Affairs Canada.
Following separate discussions in Ottawa with Canada’s Secretary of State for International Development, Randeep Sarai, Mr Ablakwa said Canada would provide technical assistance to Ghana’s Women’s Development Bank.
He also announced plans for cooperation on labour mobility and youth skills, including digital literacy, certification for global jobs, energy transition and technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
Other areas included closer collaboration with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, environmental protection and land reclamation as Ghana pursues legal and sustainable mining, and a wider Africa-Canada dialogue next year.
“We reaffirm our buoyant Ghana-Canada relations,” Mr Ablakwa said in a post on X.
Mr Mahama arrived in St John’s on Monday for CHOGM, which is themed “Accelerating Partnership and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth”. Several bilateral meetings were scheduled during the summit.
King Charles III opened the 28th CHOGM on Tuesday with a speech on the slave trade, saying the actions of past generations could not be changed. Mr Mahama is the African Union’s Champion on Reparations.
Canada and Ghana established diplomatic relations in 1957 and will mark 70 years of ties in 2027.
