Keypoints:
- Ghana and St Kitts extend visa waiver to ordinary passports
- Leaders push labour mobility and deeper economic cooperation
- Reparatory justice and diaspora ties highlighted
GHANA and St Kitts and Nevis have agreed to extend their visa waiver arrangement to include holders of ordinary passports, marking a significant step toward strengthening economic, cultural and diplomatic ties between West Africa and the Caribbean.
The announcement came during an official visit to Accra by St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Terrence Michael Drew, who travelled to Ghana at the invitation of President John Dramani Mahama and is expected to participate in the country’s 69th Independence Day celebrations on March 6.
Speaking during a luncheon held in honour of the visiting delegation, Mahama described the new arrangement as a major breakthrough in efforts to deepen cooperation between the two nations.
‘This practical and transformative step will significantly facilitate tourism, trade, business exchanges, and people-to-people connections,’ the president said.
Expanding an existing agreement
The latest move expands a visa waiver agreement first signed in 2018 that applied only to holders of diplomatic and service passports. By extending the arrangement to ordinary passports, both governments aim to make travel between the two countries easier for citizens, entrepreneurs, students and cultural groups.
Mahama said the decision reflected a wider effort to remove barriers that have historically limited direct engagement between Africa and the Caribbean.
‘Though separated by the Atlantic Ocean, our nations remain united by history, ancestry, culture, and in our spirits,’ he said.
‘What geography once divided, history now compels us to bring back together.’
The president emphasised that the relationship between Africa and the Caribbean should now move beyond symbolic connections toward practical collaboration and economic partnership.
‘The time has come to move beyond remembrance to reconstruction, to transform shared memories into shared purpose,’ Mahama said.
Labour mobility and healthcare cooperation
Labour mobility emerged as one of the key areas of cooperation discussed during the visit, particularly in the healthcare sector.
Mahama said Ghana was prepared to support St Kitts and Nevis with skilled professionals, including nurses, teachers and other technical experts, under mutually beneficial arrangements.
The Caribbean country has already begun recruiting Ghanaian nurses to address shortages in its healthcare workforce.
Prime Minister Drew confirmed that Ghanaian healthcare professionals had recently started working in St Kitts and Nevis and said the programme had been well received.
‘I have heard that Ghana has a surplus of healthcare professionals and the Caribbean has a dearth of healthcare professionals,’ he said.
‘We already have a number of Ghanaian nurses who have come to St Kitts and Nevis and they are well received.’
He added that the initiative demonstrates how cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean can deliver tangible benefits for both regions.
Boosting trade and investment
Beyond mobility and labour exchanges, the two governments are also exploring expanded cooperation in sectors including tourism, agriculture, renewable energy, education and cultural industries.
Mahama said stronger economic engagement between African and Caribbean nations was essential to transforming historical ties into shared prosperity.
He pointed to emerging frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area and the African-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum as potential platforms to strengthen cross-Atlantic trade and investment.
‘Political solidarity must now be married by economic integration,’ the president said.
According to Mahama, closer economic collaboration could open new opportunities for entrepreneurs, investors and young professionals across both regions.
Reparatory justice on the global stage
The visit also highlighted growing alignment between African and Caribbean governments on the issue of reparatory justice for the transatlantic slave trade and colonial exploitation.
Mahama said Ghana would host a high-level event at the United Nations later this month dedicated to the issue.
‘The trafficking and racialised child enslavement of Africans constitute one of the gravest crimes against humanity,’ he said.
‘Our call is not for charity. It is for justice.’
Drew expressed strong support for Ghana’s leadership on the matter, noting that St Kitts and Nevis currently chairs the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
He said Caribbean states were increasingly working together with African countries to ensure that the historical injustices of slavery and colonialism receive global recognition.
‘I want to thank you, Mr President, for your tremendous leadership,’ Drew said.
‘You can count on us for strong and full support.’
A symbolic homecoming
During his remarks, the visiting prime minister repeatedly described his trip to Ghana as both a diplomatic mission and a deeply personal journey.
‘As I arrived in Ghana and was driving along the streets, I could not tell the difference whether I was at home or in a foreign country,’ he said.
Drew added that reconnecting Africa and the Caribbean was an important responsibility for the current generation of leaders.
Mahama echoed that sentiment, describing the visit as a ‘homecoming’ and emphasising the shared historical bonds linking the two nations.
‘Your presence here in Accra is a return home,’ the president said.
Looking ahead
Both leaders said the expanded visa waiver agreement should encourage greater exchanges between their countries, including student mobility, cultural collaboration and business partnerships.
While challenges such as limited direct air connectivity between Africa and the Caribbean remain, Mahama said progress should continue even as infrastructure gaps are addressed.
‘Our ambition is clear,’ he said.
‘To position Ghana and St Kitts and Nevis as model partners in south-south cooperation.’
For both governments, the visit signals a renewed push to strengthen Africa–Caribbean relations and translate shared history into practical opportunities for economic development and global cooperation.
