The Minority New Patriotic (NPP) in Parliament has commended Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Ghana, which will further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries.
The minority hailed the visit as a “moment of deep diplomatic significance” and a milestone in Ghana–India relations.
PM Modi’s visit marked the first time in over three decades that a sitting Indian Prime Minister has set foot on Ghanaian soil.
The Minority Leader, Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin a statement issued after the visit, lauded the great partnership between Ghana and India.
“Prime Minister Modi’s visit marks the first time in over three decades that a sitting Indian Prime Minister has set foot on Ghanaian soil, and the first ever to address the Parliament of Ghana. It is a powerful reaffirmation of the enduring friendship between Ghana and India,” he reiterated.
The Minority leader recalled the historic bonds of solidarity between the two countries, dating back to the era of Kwame Nkrumah and Jawaharlal Nehru, praising India’s longstanding contributions to Ghana’s development agenda.
“India’s contributions to Ghana’s development have been invaluable. We applaud this partnership and reiterate our commitment to furthering it—guided by mutual respect, shared values, and strategic cooperation,” Osahen Afenyo-Markin emphasised.
He pledged the full support of the minority caucus in further strengthening Ghana-India relations and stood ready to deepen the bond between the two nations for the mutual benefit of future generations.
Osahen Afenyo-Markin highlighted India’s invaluable contribution to Ghana’s development in education, trade, science and technology, healthcare and human resource development.
“We in the Minority caucus applaud this partnership and reiterate our commitment to furthering it, guided by mutual respect, share values, and strategic cooperation,” Osahen Afenyo-Markin stated.
He urged governments of both countries to institutionalise the Ghana-India partnership through stronger parliamentary democracy, including the establishment of a Ghana-India Parliamentary Friendship Association.
Job creation
Osahen Afenyo-Markin also advocated partnerships firmly rooted in local job creation, knowledge transfer, massive industrialisation and inclusive growth.
The Minority Leader who is also the Member of Parliament for Effutu, cited notable example of Indian-Ghanaian collaboration in the construction of sub-Saharan Africa’s first tissue factory using wood pulp as raw material in the Effutu constituency.
“This $31 million private investment, initiated in July 2023 and set for commissioning by October 2025, will produce 22,000 metric tons of jumbo tissue rolls annually and create over 200 direct jobs,” Osahen Afenyo-Markin pointed out.
According to him, “This is not just a factory, it is a symbol of what Indian-Ghanaian collaboration can achieve.”
Vaccine manufacturing hub
The Minority Caucus also welcomed India’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s ambition of becoming a vaccine manufacturing hub for Africa.
Osahen Afenyo-Markin expressed hope for the swift implementation of recently signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) in agriculture, health, defence, and digital infrastructure.
Tribute to PM Modi
The Minority Leader paid glowing tribute to Prime Minister Modi’s personal and political journey, describing it as a compelling example of resilience, transformation, and people-centered governance.
“We in the Minority find deep inspiration in his story. His example proves that rebranding—when grounded in conviction, strategy, and a sincere desire to serve—is not only possible, but necessary,” Osahen Afenyo-Markin emphasised.
Citing the Indian leader’s rise from humble beginnings to securing three consecutive election victories, the Minority Leader reflected on Modi’s success in repositioning the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) into a dominant national force.
“He rebranded a party once seen as marginal, that had long been in the shadows of Indian politics, and gave it new life—anchoring it in ideological clarity, national pride, disciplined organisation, and people-centred governance,” he added.
Osahen Afenyo-Markin urged Ghanaian leaders to draw inspiration from Modi’s transformation of Gujarat into an investment destination, his commitment to economic productivity over populism, and his digital governance initiatives that boosted inclusion and transparency in India.
“Those of us who lead Ghana must confront the dependency mindset that continues to trap too many of our people. Ghanaian entrepreneurs do not need charity, they need opportunity,” Osahen Afenyo-Markin stressed.
He also praised Modi’s unity-focused leadership in a religiously and ethnically diverse India, calling on Ghana to embrace a politics that heals rather than divides.
By Kyei Boateng
