Ghana and Sierra Leone have taken steps to deepen their bilateral relationship by reviving a joint cooperation agreement initially signed in 2018.
This commitment was reaffirmed during a one-day working visit to Freetown by Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, where he held discussions with Sierra Leone’s President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio.
The meeting focused on fostering stronger ties in trade, education, investment, and institutional collaboration. According to Mahama, both leaders shared a common vision for progress and development in key sectors.
“We agreed to revitalise the joint cooperation agreement initially signed in 2018, with a proposal to hold the inaugural meeting here in Ghana soon! We shared our commitment to meeting the aspirations of our citizens and ensuring progress in key sectors,” he stated.
The discussions also touched on pressing regional challenges such as terrorism, conflict, and drug trafficking, with both leaders stressing the need for collective action to address these threats. Additionally, they explored ways to enhance the West African Power Pool to boost power generation and distribution across the sub-region.
Mahama also took the opportunity to engage with the Ghanaian community in Sierra Leone, listening to concerns about work permits and taxation. He assured them of efforts to address these issues and improve their working conditions.
During my one-day working visit to Freetown on Tuesday, I held a productive meeting with my brother, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone.
Our discussions centred on strengthening the bonds between Ghana and Sierra Leone through enhanced bilateral cooperation in… pic.twitter.com/x1BnByLvj4
— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) March 19, 2025
With plans underway to reactivate the 2018 agreement, both countries are set to strengthen their partnership and work toward shared development goals.
In 2017, Ghana and Sierra Leone agreed to ratify the agreement for cooperation between the two countries, so as to provide the legal framework for addressing their trade and investment concerns.
Despite the good relations that existed between the two countries, there was no framework for cooperation to guide these relations. This development hampered the deepening of bilateral ties and cooperation amongst the two countries.
To this end, then President Akufo-Addo assured that “I will pursue this matter with my Parliament to ensure the ratification of this Agreement”, an agreement that was signed between the two countries on 19th December, 2013, but which was yet to be ratified.
