In a striking example of financial reciprocity, the U.S. government has donated 14 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) valued at $6 million to the Government of Ghana, with the funds for this generous gesture reportedly coming from U.S. visa fees paid by Ghanaians.
At a press conference on May 9, 2025, it was revealed that the U.S. Embassy in Accra collected approximately $10 million in visa application fees from 61,000 Ghanaians in 2024. Of these applicants, about 25,000 (roughly 40%) were successful, contributing $4 million in fees, while the remaining 36,000 (60%) were unsuccessful, accounting for the other $6 million.
On the same day as the press conference, media reports highlighted the U.S. donation of 14 APCs to Ghana, a move aimed at boosting the country’s security capabilities.
The $6 million price tag on the donated vehicles closely aligns with the visa fees collected from unsuccessful Ghanaian applicants, leading some observers to describe the situation as a classic case of “robbing Kwame, Kofi, and Yaw as individuals and giving back to Kwame, Kofi, and Yaw’s government.”
Critics argue that while the donation strengthens Ghana’s national security infrastructure, it essentially represents a return of funds indirectly extracted from ordinary Ghanaians through visa fees.
Proponents, however, see the move as a practical use of internally generated funds (IGF) that directly supports Ghana’s security and stability, at a time when the country faces growing threats from violent extremism and cross-border crime in the Sahel region.
As the debate over the true cost of foreign aid continues, this episode raises broader questions about the nature of international assistance and the long-term implications for Ghana’s national sovereignty.
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