Mahama Secures Russian Commitments on Nuclear Power and Defense

President John Dramani Mahama has secured six commitments from Russian President Vladimir Putin following bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced Saturday.

Ablakwa outlined the outcomes in a post on his X account, describing the summit as a successful engagement. The commitments cover plans for a 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant, a new defense pact, increased agricultural cooperation, more scholarships for Ghanaian students, a ban on Ghanaians participating in the Russia-Ukraine war and the revival of a joint cooperation commission.

Under the headline commitment, Russia agreed to work with Ghana to establish a 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant to guarantee energy security and anchor industrialization. Ablakwa called it a revival of the vision of Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah, whose government began preparatory work on nuclear energy before the coup of February 1966. Mahama revealed at the summit that Ghana had initiated discussions with Russia's state-owned nuclear company, Rosatom, on the proposed facility.

The second commitment is a new defense pact under which Russia will support Ghana in acquiring strategic military assets for the Ghana Armed Forces. It follows earlier engagements between Ghana's military authorities and a Russian delegation.

On agriculture, the two countries will enhance cooperation aimed at boosting grain production and the supply of fertilizers, part of Ghana's efforts to strengthen food security and reduce dependence on imports.

Russia also agreed to increase scholarships for Ghanaian students. Ghana now ranks second among African nations in the number of students studying in Russia, and in August Russia raised its annual allocation for Ghanaian students from 120 to 240.

Following concerns raised directly by Mahama, Putin declared that Ghanaians are no longer allowed to participate in the war with Ukraine, whether through irregular recruitment or expressed voluntary interest. The issue had become a major concern for the Ghanaian government after reports of young people lured to Russia with promises of employment before allegedly ending up involved in military operations.

Finally, Ghana and Russia will revive their Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation, with Moscow ready to host the next meeting in the coming weeks. The commission is expected to follow up on the commitments and identify further areas of cooperation. The two countries have maintained formal diplomatic relations since 1958.

The announcements are commitments secured at the Moscow talks rather than completed projects; the revived commission is expected to handle the follow-through.

(Featured image: Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow. Photo: Russian Presidential Executive Office, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.)