Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced a major development partnership following a high-level meeting with Eyerusalem Fasika, Country Manager of the African Development Bank (AfDB). The AfDB has approved a US$70 million grant aimed at empowering youth across the five regions of Northern Ghana.

This strategic investment is part of a broader commitment by the AfDB to support Ghana’s development agenda under President John Dramani Mahama. The Bank has pledged funding for several flagship initiatives including:

The Big Push – a large-scale infrastructure acceleration program 
24-Hour Economy Policy – aimed at boosting productivity and job creation 
Feed Ghana – focused on agricultural transformation and food security 
1-Million Coders – a digital skills initiative to prepare Ghana’s youth for the global tech economy

The Minister also expressed enthusiasm over AfDB’s continued support for regional connectivity projects such as the Lagos-Abidjan Road Network and the Eastern Corridor, which directly impacts his constituency.

Currently, the AfDB has invested approximately US$600 million in active projects across Ghana, spanning sectors like infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, youth empowerment, and social cohesion.

This renewed partnership signals a robust alignment between Ghana’s national priorities and AfDB’s strategic development goals, setting the stage for transformative impact across the country.