LUSAKA – Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama was honoured with a State banquet at the InterContinental Hotel in Lusaka on Thursday evening, as part of his official visit to Zambia at the invitation of President Hakainde Hichilema. President Mahama has been in Zambia since Wednesday and is scheduled to depart this afternoon.
During the banquet, President Hichilema said the two countries share a bond that requires strong economic collaboration. “So that together, we can continue walking on the road of progress that we are both carving for our people,” he said. “When the people of Ghana are better, the people of Zambia will be in a good space and vice versa.”
Hichilema pointed to the importance of a strong economic relationship, noting that Ghana’s economic reforms align closely with Zambia’s. “We are now saying we want to do. Ghana and Zambia must do more intentionally. Africa does the least trade with itself. It’s unacceptable. We must do more with each other by investing together and engaging into trade,” he said.
The Zambian president also highlighted opportunities in the mining sector. “Zambia is happy to work with Ghana in the mining field, among others. God has favoured us with gold. Ghana has been at mining gold for a longer period. There are also things that Ghana can pick from us. So we think we will be better economies by collaborating. It’s so easy to work with the Ghanaians. These two presidents want to make sure that we explore the opportunities,” he said.
In response, President Mahama noted the similarities in the two countries’ economic structures, with mining contributing significantly to GDP. “There are some things that you are doing very well that we can learn from. There are also some things that Ghana is doing very well and Zambia can learn from. Notwithstanding the continental alliances that exist, we must underpin those continental alliances by forging stronger bilateral relationships between our two countries,” he said.
Mahama also spoke of an enhanced economic development cooperation partnership proposed during the visit. “Since my arrival in Lusaka, I felt genuinely at home, noting that Ghana and Zambia share a bond that goes far beyond diplomacy. This is not a relationship of convenience; it is a relationship of history, shared struggle and a deep belief in Africa’s destiny,” he said.
The Ghanaian president added that he and Hichilema held private discussions on quality leadership and the responsibilities leaders have to their people. “We have the responsibility to leave our countries better than we found them. It was an honest conversation between two African leaders who understand that leadership is not about power but about service. That moment for me captured the true spirit of this visit and I thank you, my brother, for inviting me,” he said.
Mahama also paid tribute to the founding fathers of both nations. “The founding fathers – Kwame Nkrumah and Kenneth Kaunda – believed that borders should never divide African brothers and sisters. Tonight, I feel very strongly that we are honouring that legacy the two great men left,” he said.
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