In a world where strategic economic allies are becoming a necessity for every nation, Colombia is looking to Ghana as its strategic entry point into the West African market.
This quest by Colombia signals a fresh push to deepen trade, transport, and business ties between Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.
This plan of Colombia was announced by the Deputy Minister for Trade for the Latin American country, Tito Yepes, during an official visit to Ghana led by Colombia’s Vice President.
Tito Yepes explained that this ambitious vision is anchored on Ghana’s ports, aviation potential, and growing role as a regional business hub.
At the heart of the plan is Ghana’s maritime strength. Colombia believes Ghana’s ports could serve as a key landing point for goods entering West Africa, with proposals already on the table to establish a direct maritime route linking Cartagena and the wider Colombian Caribbean to Ghana.
Such a route, officials say, would cut shipping time, reduce costs, and open up new trade flows between the two regions.
Beyond the maritime connectivity, air connectivity featured strongly in Colombia’s thinking. Yepes questioned why travelers and businesspeople moving between the two countries must transit through Europe, sometimes spending close to 40 hours in transit.
He suggested a direct Bogotá–Accra flight, which could reduce travel time to about 12 hours and make business, tourism, and cultural exchange far more practical.
“You have a strong port here, and then we can use that as a part of our gateway to West Africa, and then the idea is to establish, for example, a maritime line between Cartagena and the Colombian Caribbean. The idea is also let’s put forward why not a flight flying directly from Bogota to Accra, instead of actually going to Europe, where we are actually taking 40 hours to get here, and let’s spend 12 hours, which is a reasonable amount of time, right?” the Deputy Minister for Trade for Colombia announced during a media interaction.
Ghana’s appeal goes beyond infrastructure. The country’s political stability, improving logistics network, and role within ECOWAS make it a natural gateway for reaching a market of more than 400 million people across West Africa.
Crucially, the Colombian government says the opportunity that this strategic alliance will create is not reserved for big corporations alone. The proposed transport links are expected to create space for small and medium-sized businesses on both sides, allowing traders, exporters, logistics firms, and service providers to tap into new markets with fewer barriers.
He said, “The opportunities are very much a lot, and then there will be businesses for everybody, and opportunities not only for large businesses but also for small businesses, as they can actually come and implement different opportunities.”
The move reflects a broader shift in global trade, with countries in the Global South increasingly looking to partner directly, bypassing traditional routes through Europe and North America.
The initiative could strengthen Ghana’s position as West Africa’s commercial crossroads while opening new economic doors for Colombian businesses seeking growth beyond Latin America.
