Ukraine is prepared to extend its hard-earned expertise and advanced technologies to help Ghana bolster its border security, a critical need for the West African nation facing regional instability.
This commitment emerged from a significant conversation between President John Dramani Mahama and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, July 11.
President Zelenskyy personally highlighted the security aspect of their discussions in an X post following the call.
“Ghana is also interested in our technologies, the production of various types of drones, and the experience Ukraine has gained during this war,” Zelenskyy revealed.
He further emphasised Ukraine’s reciprocal commitment: “Ghana is ready to finance our production, and we are ready to help our partners secure their borders.”
I had a good conversation with President of Ghana, @JDMahama.
We share a mutual interest in developing bilateral cooperation. We discussed areas where we can already deepen our partnership, first and foremost in the agro-industrial sector and the creation of a food logistics hub… pic.twitter.com/HYapyIiB1q
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 11, 2025
This offer of support comes at a crucial time for Ghana, which shares over 2,000 kilometres of land borders with Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso.
The northern frontier with Burkina Faso, in particular, has become a significant security concern.
The Sahel region, bordering Ghana to the north, has witnessed a severe escalation of extremist violence and instability since 2020, with jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS expanding their influence southward.
Countries like Benin and Togo have already experienced spillover attacks, increasing Ghana’s vulnerability.
Ghana’s security agencies have identified over 250 unapproved routes along its borders, frequently used for smuggling, illicit trafficking, and potentially by extremist elements.
Ukraine’s offer of assistance, particularly in drone technology, is highly relevant to Ghana’s security challenges.
Since the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has rapidly innovated and deployed a diverse array of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), from affordable First Person View (FPV) drones for reconnaissance and precision strikes to larger, long-range systems.
This combat-proven technology could significantly enhance Ghana’s border surveillance capabilities, enabling real-time monitoring of remote areas and rapid response to illicit activities or incursions.
Ghana’s defence budget is projected to grow by over 11% between 2025-2029, driven largely by the need to mitigate regional instability and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, indicating a clear intent to acquire advanced military technology, including UAVs.
Beyond security, the leaders also discussed broadening bilateral cooperation in other vital sectors.
“We discussed areas where we can already deepen our partnership, first and foremost in the agro-industrial sector and the creation of a food logistics hub in Ghana,” President Zelenskyy stated.
This aligns with President Mahama’s “Feed Ghana Programme,” launched in May 2025, which aims to boost agricultural production, reduce reliance on food imports (currently over $2 billion annually), and create jobs.
A food logistics hub, supported by Ukrainian agricultural expertise, could significantly reduce post-harvest losses and improve Ghana’s food supply chain efficiency.
The conversation between Presidents Mahama and Zelenskyy further solidifies the burgeoning relationship between Accra and Kyiv.
Ghana has maintained a consistent and principled stance condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine since 2022. Ukraine officially opened its embassy in Accra in December 2023, signalling its strategic focus on expanding its diplomatic and economic presence across Africa.
In June 2025, officials from both countries also agreed to deepen cooperation in cybersecurity, digitalisation, and information technologies.
To facilitate these collaborations, a ministerial-level meeting has been scheduled, with a Ukrainian delegation expected to visit Ghana in the near future.
This will allow for detailed discussions and the potential signing of agreements across the identified sectors. President Zelenskyy concluded his post by extending an invitation to President Mahama to visit Ukraine, a gesture that underscores the growing importance of Ghana to Ukraine’s foreign policy and its efforts to build stronger global partnerships.
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