In a significant push to foster South-South cooperation, President John Dramani Mahama and the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Terrance Michael Drew, have signed three pivotal agreements covering healthcare cooperation, labour mobility, and visa-free travel.
The Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were formalized at the Jubilee House in Accra on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, following high-level bilateral talks between the two delegations.
The agreements establish a formal political consultation mechanism between the two nations, introduce a visa waiver for holders of ordinary passports, and create a structured labour framework for the recruitment of Ghanaian medical professionals by the Caribbean island nation.
A New Paradigm for Engagement
President Mahama framed the partnership as a cornerstone of his administration’s “Accra Reset Initiative,” a foreign policy drive aimed at repositioning Ghana’s engagement with global partners to prioritize mutual prosperity.
“Under the Accra Reset Initiative, I have been leading such a charge to translate our sovereignty into execution, investments, and shared prosperity,” President Mahama stated during the bilateral session. “We must be united, we must mobilise our common resolve, and we must develop our nations for the benefit of our own people.”
The President also used the occasion to issue a stark warning regarding global power dynamics, urging African nations to guard against exploitative practices.
“We cannot be ignorant of the devices of those who seek to work against our interests or who would want to put divisions in our midst as one global African family,” he cautioned, referencing what he described as efforts toward a “new form of colonisation of resources.”
Healthcare and Reparations on the Agenda
Under the labour agreement, St Kitts and Nevis has been formally added as a destination country under Ghana’s Caribbean health worker deployment programme, paving the way for the ethical and structured recruitment of Ghanaian nurses and doctors.
Prime Minister Drew, who also holds the rotating Chairmanship of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), expressed strong support for the partnership, particularly regarding the push for reparative justice.
“The question of reparatory justice remains a global conversation… about recognition, repair, and the restructuring of global systems that were built on exploitation,” said Prime Minister Drew. “Reparations are about restoring dignity, creating equitable opportunities, [and serve as] a gateway for deeper Africa-Caribbean engagement.”
The reparations agenda is expected to take center stage later this month when President Mahama, in his capacity as the African Union Champion for Reparations, presents a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly seeking recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity.
Cultural Diplomacy and Independence Celebrations
Beyond the formal talks, the visit carries deep cultural and historical significance. Prime Minister Drew is scheduled to tour key Pan-African heritage sites in Accra, including the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
He will also travel to Cape Coast to visit the Cape Coast Castle, a major departure point for enslaved Africans during the transatlantic slave trade. There, he will be received by local traditional authorities.
The Caribbean leader’s five-day visit to Ghana will culminate in his attendance at Ghana’s 69th Independence Day anniversary celebration on March 6, 2026, as a special guest of honour.
