As Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a historic two-day visit to Ghana—his first stop on a five-nation diplomatic tour—the Indian National Congress has invoked the enduring legacy of Indo-Ghanaian relations, spotlighting the close ties between former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Ghana’s founding leader, Kwame Nkrumah.
Congress General Secretary in-charge of Communications, Jairam Ramesh, took to social media to highlight the “very warm relationship” shared by Nehru and Nkrumah, which predated Ghana’s independence in 1957. Ramesh noted that the two leaders shared a vision rooted in anti-colonial solidarity and South-South cooperation, laying the foundation for India-Africa engagement.
He recalled Nkrumah’s extensive state visit to India from December 22, 1958, to January 8, 1959, during which the Ghanaian leader toured key Indian cities and institutions, including the Trombay Atomic Energy Establishment, the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, and the Bhakra Nangal Dam. The visit also led to Indian assistance in establishing the Ghanaian Air Force.
amesh further pointed out symbolic markers of the bilateral relationship: a prominent road in Accra named after Nehru, and Kwame Nkrumah Marg in New Delhi’s diplomatic enclave.
Quoting Nehru’s 1955 speech at the inauguration of the Department of African Studies at Delhi University, Ramesh emphasized the former prime minister’s foresight in promoting African studies in India. “It is of the most urgent importance for us to understand Africa… and her problems and her people more particularly,” Nehru had said, expressing a sense of historical atonement for the continent’s colonial exploitation.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit marks the first by an Indian head of government to Ghana in over three decades. He is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with President John Dramani Mahama, address the Ghanaian Parliament, and pay homage at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. The visit aims to deepen cooperation in energy, health, security, and development, while reinforcing India’s commitment to the Global South.
