Ghana is working with the Russian Academy of Sciences to advance President John Dramani Mahama’s industrialisation agenda and end the export of raw materials by 2030.
The initiative emerged from discussions between Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Professor Irina Olegovna Abramova, Director of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, during Mr Ablakwa’s visit to the prestigious Russian institution.
Mr Ablakwa said Ghana and the academy had agreed to collaborate on industrialisation and value addition as the country seeks to transform its natural resources into finished and higher-value products before they leave the country.
The partnership is expected to support Ghana’s broader effort to move away from an economy dependent on the export of raw materials and towards one driven by processing, manufacturing and greater domestic value creation.
The Foreign Affairs Minister said the collaboration would also extend to research on reparatory justice and the sponsorship of PhD scholarships for Ghanaian and Russian scholars.
He described the engagement with the Russian Academy of Sciences as particularly significant for Ghana, noting that the institution has translated the literary works of two Ghanaian presidents, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and President John Dramani Mahama, into Russian.
According to Mr Ablakwa, the translated works have become bestsellers, reflecting the depth of Russia’s scholarly interest in Ghana and its political history.
He expressed appreciation to Professor Abramova and her colleagues for their hospitality and the discussions on areas of mutual interest.
Mr Ablakwa also commended the Institute for African Studies for its longstanding academic engagement with Africa, dating back to 1959.
The latest collaboration adds to Ghana’s efforts to build international partnerships around technology, knowledge and expertise as it pursues a shift from exporting raw resources to developing industries that create jobs, increase local value and strengthen the domestic economy.
