By: Hannah Dadzie
Ghana is set to significantly expand its diplomatic footprint with the establishment of new consulates and missions in key locations across the globe. According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the new consulates will open in Singapore, Dublin, Massachusetts, and Lisbon.
Speaking at the Conference of Heads of Missions and Orientation Programme for newly appointed envoys, and the launch of KPIs in Accra, Mr Ablakwa, revealed that the new consulates are a direct result of a directive from President John Dramani Mahama, reflecting a strategic effort to deepen Ghana’s engagement with the world.
The Singapore consulate, in particular, follows a recent agreement to strengthen bilateral ties with the Southeast Asian nation.
The decision to open a new consulate in Massachusetts, USA, is aimed at better serving the large and vibrant Ghanaian diaspora in the United States. This will be Ghana’s third mission in the U.S., complementing existing offices in New York and Washington, D.C. Similarly, the consulate in Lisbon, Portugal, is a strategic move based on growing commercial ties and a detailed analysis by the ministry’s Policy Planning, Evaluation, and Monitoring Bureau.
Mr Ablakwa, said the move underscores Ghana’s growing diplomatic footprint, which currently stands at 75 missions worldwide, a significant rise from fewer than 10 under Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. The existing missions include 13 high commissions, 48 embassies, and 14 consulates.
“We have been charged to open a consulate in Singapore. We are also opening one in Dublin in Ireland, and an additional one in Massachusetts. Ghanaians in the US have been crying that New York and Washington cannot continue to represent the 50-state country, and so President Mahama granted us approval only two weeks ago for an additional consulate to be opened in Massachusetts.” The Minister said.
Mr. Ablakwa said three additional missions have also been opened in Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago), Belgrade (Serbia), which has been reopened and Budapest (Hungary). These, he said, further strengthen Ghana’s engagement in both the Caribbean and Eastern Europe.
The Foreign Affairs Minister also revealed that Ghana’s current ambassadorial composition is 45% career diplomats and 55% non-career ambassadors, describing it as one of the most balanced in the country’s history.
President Mahama, he noted, is considering a 50/50 split as more missions are opened. A review of past administrations showed higher proportions of non-career ambassadors: 60/40 under President Rawlings, 64/36 under President Kufuor, 58/42 under President Mills, and 52/48 under President Akufo-Addo.
The Minister said the present ratio demonstrates the President’s commitment to advancing the professional development of career diplomats.
Mr Ablakwa lauded President Mahama’s commitment to supporting the Foreign Ministry and maintaining a strong professional diplomatic corps, noting the President’s keen interest in moving towards a 50/50 split as new missions are established.
