Ghana and Grenada have entered a new chapter of cooperation that will allow Ghanaian healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, to work in the Caribbean nation under a freshly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Health Cooperation.
The agreement was formalised at the Jubilee House in Accra when President John Dramani Mahama hosted Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Amiss Thomas Mitchell, during his two-day official visit, Graphic Online reported. The pact, titled “Recruitment of Ghanaian Nurses for the State of Grenada,” was signed by Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and Grenada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Export Development, Joseph Andall, in the presence of both leaders.
President Mahama described the MoU as a milestone in people-centred development and reaffirmed Ghana’s readiness to ensure its swift implementation.
“Ghana is committed to the implementation of this accord,” he said, adding that Grenada’s interest in hiring Ghanaian nurses and allied health professionals offered a “valuable opportunity for structured collaboration.”
The President praised Ghanaian health workers for their “professionalism and compassion” and stressed the importance of building partnerships that “address both our national needs and Grenada’s health priorities.”
Apart from healthcare, President Mahama used the occasion to call for collective support from Grenada and the wider Caribbean for Ghana’s planned motion at the United Nations to recognise slavery as one of the greatest crimes against humanity.
“At the UN General Assembly this year, I stated that Ghana intends to file a motion at the United Nations next year to declare slavery as one of the greatest crimes against humanity,” he reiterated. “Mr Prime Minister, I know I can count on your support and the support of our colleagues in the Caribbean and the African Union.”
He commended Grenada’s historical advocacy and expressed confidence that the Caribbean nation’s backing would strengthen global support for the motion.
Turning to a practical challenge, President Mahama highlighted the absence of direct air links between Africa and the Caribbean as a barrier to greater integration.
“One significant barrier continues to hinder our cooperation, and that is the lack of direct air connectivity between the Caribbean and Africa,” he said. “Creating direct air links between Ghana and the Caribbean would unleash significant opportunities for trade, tourism, culture and education between our peoples.”
At a state luncheon, Prime Minister Mitchell spoke passionately about the deep cultural and historical ties connecting the Caribbean and Africa, noting that these bonds must serve as the foundation for shared progress.
“As we remember the tragedy of our past, we use it as inspiration to build a new and deliberate bridge that promises prosperity, unity, and economic empowerment for future generations of Africans both in Africa and in the Caribbean,” he said.
The Grenadian leader described the new healthcare agreement as a deliberate step to advance mutual development and reiterated his country’s strong stance on reparations for the transatlantic slave trade, calling it “perhaps the most human crime that has been committed against humanity.”
Looking ahead, he revealed that discussions were ongoing with Ethiopian Airlines to establish direct flights between Africa and the Caribbean, adding that cultural similarities between the two regions made stronger connections both natural and necessary.
“Our music, our food, our culture, and the vibrancy of our people speak for themselves. And if you are in Grenada, you will feel just at home as if you are in Africa,” he said.
Prime Minister Mitchell also paid tribute to a Ghanaian educator, Sister Margaret, who has served as Principal of Grenada’s New Life Organisation for 15 years. He praised her as an embodiment of the power of cross-cultural exchange.
“Anything she asks of me, I try and deliver because I see the commitment and the change that she’s made in the lives of so many young men and women in Grenada,” he said. “Her work is testimony to what bilateral relations can do, testimony to what the movement of people can do.”
The visit also featured the first Ghana–Grenada Political Consultation Meeting, co-chaired by the foreign ministers of both nations. The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in health, education, skills development, trade, investment, tourism, culture, and climate resilience.
Mr Ablakwa emphasised that the new health MoU would serve as a framework for broader bilateral cooperation and confirmed efforts to address challenges faced by Ghanaian students studying in Grenada under scholarship programmes.
He further noted the potential for partnerships in education and vocational training, including academic exchanges and collaboration in health sciences and e-learning.
According to him, these initiatives would enhance human capital development and deepen the bonds between the people of Ghana and Grenada.
