Government is considering a partnership with Portugal’s national airline in its efforts to launch a new national carrier, President John Mahama has revealed.
Speaking at the Jubilee House while receiving the credentials of Portugal’s new ambassador to Ghana, Maria Da Conceicao De, President Mahama highlighted the strong historical links between the two countries and said those ties could extend to the aviation sector.
“I’ve flown it before and so I have experienced your national airline,” he said, referring to Portugal’s flag carrier. “Ghana itself is trying to reach [a] national airline and at the appropriate time we’ll be looking for partners and maybe if Portugal’s national airline is interested, we could do a partnership.”
He emphasised that enhancing economic ties with Portugal could benefit both nations, especially as Ghana positions itself as a regional hub for trade and investment.
“Ghana has a good business environment for mining oil and gas and other opportunities… with a market size of almost 35 million people,” he said. “Forging stronger relations to do business in Ghana would be a win-win both in terms of investment and also in terms of creating opportunities for our young people.”
President Mahama also addressed regional security concerns, particularly the growing threat of violent extremism in the Sahel.
He acknowledged the role of European partners such as France and the United Kingdom in supporting peace-building in West Africa and praised the European Union for its continued engagement.
“West Africa carries the burden of violent extremism, especially in the Sahel,” he said. “We are partnering with several countries in the EU… building up the capacity to be able to resolve the issues of violent extremism in the Sahel.”
He added that Ghana remains committed to diplomacy with the three Sahelian countries that recently withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
“ECOWAS has a bit of an issue with three of the countries deciding to leave… I’ve appointed a special envoy to continue the dialogue with the hope of resolving the issues and breaking down the mistrust between us,” he said.
Welcoming the ambassador, President Mahama said he was surprised to learn she had arrived from Portugal’s mission in Abuja, given the long-standing relationship between Ghana and Portugal.
“For all of us who attended school in Ghana, in our history lessons, we were told that the first Europeans to land on our shores were the Portuguese,” he said. “Till today, the most famous tourist landmark in Ghana is the Elmina Castle, which was built by the Portuguese several centuries ago. And so our ties are historical.”
Ambassador Maria Da Conceicao De responded by recognising Ghana’s leadership in regional peace efforts.
“I acknowledge the important role that Ghana plays towards the stability and initiatives for security in the region, like the Accra Initiatives for security,” she said.
“We are going to work for the cooperation between the two countries. It will be very important to call for Portuguese companies to be established here in Ghana.”
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