President John Dramani Mahama has set out a broad vision for deepening Ghana–Zambia relations, calling for a shift from ceremonial diplomacy to an enhanced economic development partnership anchored by the private sector.

Speaking at the Zambian–Ghana Business Dialogue in Lusaka, President Mahama said both countries had agreed to move beyond routine bilateral engagements.

“This state visit has not been the usual ceremonial champagne drinking and food eating. We agreed to go beyond permanent joint commissions and elevate our relations to an enhanced economic development partnership,” he said.

He explained that the inclusion of a business forum was deliberate, allowing private sector players to network, hold roundtables and drive practical cooperation.

On energy, President Mahama pointed to Zambia’s progress in sector reforms, citing open access and net metering as areas where Ghana could learn valuable lessons.

“Zambia is far ahead of us in energy reforms. If you produce excess power here and feed it into the grid, you get paid. We are still dominated by large state utilities,” he noted.

Using his own experience, he revealed that a solar power plant on his farm has generated surplus electricity for two years.

“If I was being paid for the excess power I fed into the grid, I would have earned about 70,000 dollars by now. Unfortunately, we don’t yet have the regulation to pay for that excess,” he said.

President Mahama disclosed that Ghana plans to send officials from the Energy Ministry to Zambia to study its reform model and adapt best practices.

In agriculture, he acknowledged Zambia’s comparative advantage, particularly in seed production, and expressed appreciation to President Hakainde Hichilema for a personal gift.

“The best gift I’ve ever received is one ton of maize seeds from President Hichilema. This year, I won’t buy seeds for my farm, and I’ll share some with farmers around me — as a gift from the President of Zambia,” he said.

On trade, President Mahama said both countries would examine their import lists to identify opportunities for intra-African commerce.

“Ghana has a long import list. We need to see what we can import from Zambia and what Ghana can export into the Zambian market,” he stated.

Touching on digital innovation, he said Ghana’s fintech sector has expanded rapidly.

“We’ve moved so fast in fintech that our companies are crossing borders and introducing new products faster than regulators can follow,” he said, adding that Ghana and Zambia had agreed to collaborate on fintech and cybersecurity.

President Mahama also highlighted Ghana’s growing capacity to combat misinformation.

“We are using cyber tools to track down fake news that can cause chaos and crisis, and we have passed laws to deal with such threats,” he said.

Reflecting on governance challenges, he recalled that when his administration took office, Ghana’s power sector recorded about 40 per cent technical and commercial losses, underscoring the need for ongoing reforms.

He further noted how digital convergence has transformed public engagement, allowing citizens to follow the state visit in real time.

“When I stepped off the aircraft in my traditional attire, it sparked instant discussion between the youth of Ghana and Zambia. Ghanaians have followed every aspect of this visit live — something that was impossible years ago,” he said.

President Mahama added that a private meeting with President Hichilema, initially scheduled for 45 minutes, extended beyond an hour.

“We realised our development paths are similar, but our comparative advantages are different — and that is where cooperation becomes powerful,” he concluded.