Mahama begins four-day Jamaica visit to boost trade, reparations and cultural cooperation

President Mahama Arrives in Jamaica for Historic State Visit to Deepen Ghana-Caribbean Relations

President John Dramani Mahama has arrived in Kingston, Jamaica, to begin a four-day official state visit aimed at strengthening the historic bonds between Ghana and Jamaica, deepening cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean, and advancing the global reparations agenda.

The President’s aircraft touched down at the Norman Manley International Airport on Sunday night, where he was received with official honours by a high-level Jamaican delegation led by Ambassador Sandra Grant Griffiths, Chief of State Protocol at the Office of the Prime Minister, and Ghana’s High Commissioner to Jamaica, H.E. Kofi Attor.

The official welcome included Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith; Jamaica’s Non-Resident High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E. Lincoln Downer; Under-Secretaries Ambassador Symone Betton-Nayo and Ambassador Franz Hall; as well as Dr. Janice Miller, Medical Director at the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

President Mahama was accompanied by a high-powered Ghanaian delegation comprising Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa; Deputy Minister for Defence, Hon. Ernest Brogya Genfi; Special Aide and Presidential Advisor to President Joyce Bawa Mogtari.

The landmark visit, which runs from August 2 to August 5, 2026, is expected to further consolidate the longstanding diplomatic, cultural and economic relationship between Ghana and Jamaica while expanding cooperation between Ghana and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). It also follows Ghana’s recent humanitarian assistance to Jamaica after a devastating natural disaster, reaffirming Ghana’s commitment to supporting its Caribbean partners during times of crisis and recovery.

A major highlight of the visit will be President Mahama’s participation in a high-level Reparations Dialogue at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus. He will join Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of UWI and Chairman of the CARICOM Reparations Commission, in discussions aimed at advancing the campaign for reparations for the transatlantic slave trade and addressing its enduring impact on African and Caribbean peoples.

In recognition of the shared Pan-African heritage between the two nations, President Mahama will lay a wreath at the shrine of Jamaica’s National Hero, The Right Honourable Marcus Mosiah Garvey, at the National Heroes Park. He will also visit Seville Heritage Park in St. Ann to tour the preserved Ghanaian Village Houses, a powerful symbol of the enduring historical and ancestral ties linking Ghana and Jamaica.

The President is also expected to hold high-level bilateral talks with Jamaican officials at the Office of the Prime Minister, focusing on expanding trade, investment, cultural exchange and broader South-South cooperation.

As part of his official engagements, he will address a joint sitting of Jamaica’s Houses of Parliament at the George William Gordon House, where he is expected to outline a bold vision for a stronger strategic partnership between Africa and the Caribbean.

His itinerary also includes a Trade and Investment Dialogue, a tour of the Kingston Freeport hosted by the Port Authority of Jamaica, a courtesy call on Opposition Leader Mark Golding, participation in the “Mello-Go-Roun” cultural celebrations marking Jamaica’s 64th Independence Anniversary, and a State Dinner hosted in his honour by Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen and Lady Allen at King’s House.