His Royal Majesty King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the Ga Mantse, has called for stronger cooperation between Accra and London to drive economic transformation, cultural exchange, and sustainable urban growth. The appeal came during a courtesy visit by the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, to the Ga Mantse’s Palace in Accra.
Shared History, Shared Future
The Ga Mantse highlighted the deep historical ties between Ghana and the United Kingdom, pointing to communities like Jamestown, Bukom, and Osu as living evidence of this connection. He underscored that the UK-Ghana Development Partnership policy aligns closely with the Ga State’s vision for economic diversification, better health and education, climate resilience, and conflict risk reduction.
Opportunities for Business and Innovation
King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II identified low-hanging fruits in collaboration, such as partnerships in the fishing industry, food waste reduction, and the development of landing sites and harbours. He also noted Accra’s youthful, tech-savvy population as ideal partners for knowledge transfer in areas like cognitive artificial intelligence, innovation, and digital entrepreneurship.
Tourism and Cultural Exchange
Recognising the growing number of Londoners visiting Ghana and the large Ghanaian diaspora in London, the Ga Mantse proposed structured exchange programmes. These could promote skills development, share best practices in urban management, and strengthen cultural tourism, positioning Accra as a hub for heritage-based travel.
Broader Areas of Cooperation
Beyond business and tourism, potential collaboration spans urban planning, climate action, education, creative industries, and sports development. Both cities could benefit from sharing expertise in building resilient infrastructure, strengthening public transport systems, and expanding creative economies to generate jobs and sustainable growth.
Building a Lasting Partnership
The Ga Mantse expressed hope that the visit would spark enduring, mutually beneficial partnerships. “Like London, we aim to build a safe, sustainable, future-ready Accra that serves its people while preserving our culture and traditions,” he said.
