A defence and international policy analyst, Mr Andrews Maxford, has indicated that the visit by Prime Minister Modi to Ghana is a strategic one and ticks all the boxes on how to woo a nation.
He said, “This was indeed a strategic visit by the Indian Prime Minister, something President Xi of China should have done by now considering China’s assistance to the Ghana and the continent in recent years and the need to leverage such efforts to deepen diplomatic relations.
The visit by the Prime Minister indicates clearly that India, seeing a gap in global leadership, is seeking to become an even more dominant player on the world stage.
The visit evidenced in his address to the nation through the people’s representatives at the august house of Parliament signalled India’s global ambitions and leadership aspirations as a reliable partner for Ghana and Africa’s democratic and development journey.
It will be recalled that together India and Ghana founded the Non-Aligned Movement, a group of countries that remained neutral during the Cold War, joining neither the USA nor the Soveit Union.
In contemporary times, India, the world’s largest democracy, has offered assistance to Ghana for the construction of the seat of government, the flagstaff house, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office complex; with trade relations currently at some USD3 billion with the object to double this figure by the next five years.
India Prime Minister Modi has since departed Ghana following his two-day state visit where he received the highest national award, the “Officer of the Star of Ghana”, to Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia, all countries in the global south before returning to India.
This marks the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ghana in 30 years.
Written by Andrews Joojo Maxford, Defence and International Political Analyst
