President John Dramani Mahama set to travel to Jamaica for a four-day official visit aimed at strengthening Ghana’s historic ties with the Caribbean nation, advancing the global campaign for reparations for the transatlantic slave trade and expanding economic cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean. The visit announced by Presidency Communications on Thursday July 30 and scheduled for Sunday, August 2 to Wednesday, August 5, 2026, is expected to place Ghana’s reparations agenda at the centre of high-level discussions, with President Mahama joining a major Reparations Dialogue at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus.
The engagement will bring together leading figures in the reparations movement, including Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies and Chairman of the CARICOM Reparations Commission, as Ghana and Caribbean countries push for greater international recognition of the historical injustices linked to slavery and colonial exploitation. The Presidency said the visit represents a renewed commitment to deepening the relationship between Ghana and Jamaica, while building a stronger partnership between Africa and the Caribbean based on shared history, cultural connections and common development aspirations.
President Mahama’s trip follows Ghana’s recent support to Jamaica after a major natural disaster, an intervention the Presidency described as a reflection of the enduring bonds of solidarity between Africa and its diaspora. The visit will combine historical reflection with economic diplomacy, as the President engages Jamaican authorities, business leaders and other stakeholders on opportunities to expand cooperation in trade, investment, culture, tourism, education and technology. As part of the official engagements, President Mahama will hold bilateral discussions at the Office of the Prime Minister, where both countries are expected to explore new areas of collaboration and strategies to strengthen South-South cooperation. He will also address a joint sitting of the Jamaican Parliament at the George William Gordon House, where he is expected to outline Ghana’s vision for a stronger Africa-Caribbean partnership and highlight the importance of closer cooperation between the two regions.
A major economic component of the visit will be a Trade and Investment Dialogue, alongside a tour of the Kingston Freeport hosted by the Port Authority of Jamaica. The engagements are expected to highlight investment opportunities, logistics cooperation and ways to increase commercial links between Ghana and Jamaica. Beyond policy and economic discussions, President Mahama’s itinerary includes a series of symbolic activities that reflect the deep historical connections between the two nations. He is expected to pay tribute to Jamaica’s National Hero, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, by laying a wreath at his shrine at the National Heroes Park in Kingston. Garvey, a leading Pan-Africanist, played a significant role in promoting Black unity, self-determination and the connection between Africa and people of African descent across the world.
The President will also visit Seville Heritage Park in St. Ann, which houses Ghanaian Village Houses preserved as a representation of the ancestral links and cultural ties between Ghana and Jamaica. Other engagements on the programme include a courtesy call by Jamaica’s Opposition Leader, Mark Golding, MP, and President Mahama’s attendance at the “Mello-Go-Roun” cultural event at the National Arena, which forms part of activities marking Jamaica’s 64th Independence Anniversary celebrations. The visit will end with a State Dinner hosted in President Mahama’s honour by Jamaica’s Governor-General, Sir Patrick Allen, and Lady Allen at King’s House.
Announcing the visit, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications, said the engagement would mark a new chapter in Ghana-Jamaica relations and strengthen Ghana’s role as a bridge between Africa and CARICOM. He said the visit would demonstrate a shared commitment to pursuing reparations, building economic resilience and promoting stronger cooperation among countries of the Global South.
The trip forms part of President Mahama’s broader diplomatic agenda of using Ghana’s historical connections with the global African community to create new partnerships that support economic growth, cultural exchange and international cooperation.
Author: Joyce Owusu
