Ghana is set to significantly boost its partnership with Ukraine, with a strong focus on technological collaboration in drone production and the development of a strategic food logistics hub, following a high-level conversation between President John Dramani Mahama and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, July 11, 2025.
Announcing the development via a post on X (formerly Twitter), President Zelenskyy described the engagement as productive and promising.
“I had a good conversation with President of Ghana, @JDMahama. We share a mutual interest in developing bilateral cooperation,” he stated.
Drone Technology: Ghana Seeks Combat-Tested Ukrainian Innovation
In a notable shift towards high-tech defense and surveillance capabilities, Ghana has expressed strong interest in Ukraine’s cutting-edge drone technologies — a product of Ukraine’s wartime innovation during its ongoing conflict with Russia. Ukraine’s “Army of Drones” programme, launched in 2022, has led to the development of millions of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), with applications ranging from reconnaissance and precision strikes to electronic warfare.
President Zelenskyy revealed Ghana’s intent to invest directly into Ukraine’s drone production lines, marking a potentially groundbreaking step in bilateral defence cooperation.
“Ghana is ready to finance our production, and we are ready to help our partners secure their borders,” Zelenskyy disclosed.
The move comes at a time when Ghana faces growing national security concerns. The country’s porous borders remain vulnerable to cross-border crimes, human trafficking, and extremist threats from the Sahel region. Partnering with Ukraine on drone surveillance could significantly enhance Ghana’s border security and law enforcement capabilities.
The leaders also reaffirmed a shared vision to bolster Ghana’s agro-industrial sector, including the creation of a food logistics hub that would serve not only Ghana but the wider West African sub-region. The hub is aimed at enhancing food security, reducing post-harvest losses, and boosting agricultural processing and exports.
Ghana, a major producer of maize, cassava, and cocoa, still struggles with outdated farming practices, poor infrastructure, and climate change impacts — challenges the proposed hub seeks to address.
This idea was initially broached during a meeting between former President Nana Akufo-Addo and President Zelenskyy at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2024, indicating long-standing Ghanaian interest in Ukrainian agro-technological solutions.
Beyond agriculture and security, Ghana and Ukraine have also recently agreed to expand cooperation in cybersecurity, digitalisation, and information technology. This adds a third major pillar to the growing bilateral agenda, as both countries seek to modernise state institutions and build resilient digital infrastructures.
Ukraine formally established its embassy in Accra in December 2023, underscoring its commitment to deepening ties with Africa amid its broader diplomatic outreach in response to the Russian invasion. Ghana, in turn, has maintained a principled stance, consistently condemning Russia’s aggression and backing Ukraine’s sovereignty — a position that stands out among African countries, many of which have remained neutral.
To translate this momentum into tangible outcomes, both leaders have agreed to a ministerial-level meeting, with a Ukrainian delegation expected to visit Ghana soon. The upcoming visit is expected to crystallise key agreements, particularly in drone collaboration, logistics, and digital partnerships.
In a further sign of goodwill, President Zelenskyy has extended an invitation to President Mahama to visit Ukraine, a gesture that could culminate in the signing of bilateral agreements and further elevate Ghana-Ukraine relations to strategic levels.