President Mahama holds talks with WTO Director-General on trade and investment cooperation

President John Dramani Mahama has held discussions with the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on strengthening Ghana’s trade and investment cooperation within the global trading system.

The meeting took place on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, with discussions focusing on trade, investment and opportunities to deepen economic cooperation among Commonwealth member states.

The engagement comes as Commonwealth leaders consider ways to expand trade and investment among member countries under the summit’s theme, “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth.”

The 2026 CHOGM, being held from November 1 to 4, brings together leaders from 56 Commonwealth countries, representing a combined population of about 2.7 billion people. 

The meeting is also providing an opportunity for governments and the private sector to explore investment partnerships and address barriers to trade. 

The discussions between President Mahama and Dr Okonjo-Iweala are particularly relevant to Ghana’s efforts to expand access to international markets, attract investment and strengthen its participation in global trade.

The WTO, which oversees the rules governing international trade, provides a platform for countries to negotiate trade agreements, address trade-related disputes and promote a predictable trading environment.

Ghana’s engagement with the organisation also comes amid wider efforts to promote value addition, expand exports and strengthen regional and continental trade through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), whose Secretariat is hosted in Accra.

President Mahama and Dr Okonjo-Iweala have previously engaged on Africa’s development financing and investment priorities. 

At a high-level dialogue in Addis Ababa in February 2025, hosted by President Mahama, the WTO Director-General called on African countries to mobilise domestic resources, add value to their natural resources and explore innovative financing options to support development. 

The Commonwealth meeting is also placing renewed attention on reducing barriers to intra-Commonwealth trade and mobilising private-sector investment. 

At its opening ceremony, King Charles III called for greater use of the Commonwealth’s shared institutions, legal traditions and business networks to expand trade and investment across member countries. 

President Mahama is in Antigua and Barbuda for the summit, which is providing a platform for bilateral engagements and discussions on economic cooperation, sustainable development and shared priorities among Commonwealth countries.

Richard Aniagyei, ISD