President John Dramani Mahama has stated that it was the former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration that began the process for Ghana to become a partner country of the BRICS bloc.
He said the move fits into Ghana’s long-standing foreign policy of non-alignment and must not be seen as a break from that stance or a shift in the country’s diplomatic principles.
Speaking at a meet-the-press session at the Jubilee House on Thursday, November 5, 2026, President Mahama disclosed that a ministerial committee set up under the Akufo-Addo government had recommended that Ghana seek a partnership with BRICS.
He explained that the committee’s recommendation had already been sent to Cabinet before his government took office, and was later considered and approved by the current administration.
“Let me also tell you, the ministerial committee that sat and recommended that Ghana should accede to BRICS partnership was under Nana Akufo-Addo,” he said.
“We came and met their recommendation. And so, we didn’t set up the ministerial committee. It was set up under the former NPP administration.”
President Mahama said his government examined the proposal and found the partnership worthwhile.
“And so, the recommendation was submitted to Cabinet. And so, when we came, we met it. And so, Cabinet sat on it and said, it’s a good idea to be a BRICS partner. And so, we approved it,” he said.
His comments shed light on how Ghana’s decision to deepen engagement with the BRICS bloc — made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — came about.
