By Wilson Mulinda
President HAKAINDE HICHILEMA has urged Zambia and Ghana to strengthen their economic ties in order to sustain their long-standing political and people-to-people relationships.
Speaking at a state banquet in honour of Ghanaian President JOHN MAHAMA, President HICHILEMA said both leaders agreed that economic progress should take precedence over ceremonial matters.
He described trade, investment, and shared prosperity as the true pillars of their bilateral relations.
The President added that Zambia and Ghana’s partnership is deeply rooted in Pan-Africanism, a vision nurtured by the late Dr. KENNETH KAUNDA and KWAME NKRUMAH, whose efforts played a crucial role in advancing Africa’s continental unity.
President HICHILEMA pointed out that beyond governmental connections; the bond between Zambians and Ghanaians has flourished through strong people-to-people ties, including inter-marriages, which reflect true African solidarity.
However, he warned that history and friendship alone would not be enough to sustain this partnership.
Without solid trade and investment links, he stressed, the cooperation would not endure.
Both countries, he observed, face similar economic challenges, including debt restructuring and managing mineral resources.
President HICHILEMA suggested that Zambia and Ghana could accelerate growth by learning from each other, particularly in areas such as mining governance and value addition.
The President also welcomed Ghana’s hosting of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area, stating that Zambia fully supports the initiative and hopes it will help stimulate intra-African trade, which remains far too low.
He urged African leaders to shift their focus from complaints to action, calling for greater intra-continental trade, joint investments, and targeted collaboration to create more opportunities for Africa’s young population.
The agreements made during the state visit, President HICHILEMA added, must now be put into practice by ministers, technical teams, and the private sector.
This, he said, will ensure that cooperation transcends presidential discussions and translates into tangible benefits for citizens.
President MAHAMA, in turn, acknowledged the importance of continental alliances but emphasised that they must be underpinned by purposeful bilateral relationships that directly benefit citizens.
He revealed that the two nations had proposed a more robust Economic Development Cooperation Partnership, which aims to move beyond the existing Permanent Joint Commission structure and accelerate the implementation of key projects.
President MAHAMA also noted that discussions had revealed significant alignment between the two governments, leading to an agreement to act swiftly on priority areas upon his return to Ghana.
He assured President HICHILEMA that the agreed actions would be pursued without delay, signalling a shift from declarations to concrete execution.
This collaboration positions Zambia and Ghana as champions of action-oriented partnerships at a time when African nations are seeking practical pathways to enhance trade, investment, and economic integration.
Both leaders agreed that their strengthened bilateral framework will complement broader continental efforts, such as regional economic blocs and Africa-wide integration initiatives, by ensuring that agreements deliver tangible development outcomes.
