Some Ghanaians are beginning to raise concerns over the composition of presidential delegations for foreign trips.
At a time governments across the world are increasingly using foreign trips as an economic diplomacy tool for economic transformation, some Ghanaians are concerned whether the country is fully leveraging presidential foreign trips to advance business and investment interests.
A recent observation by social media commentator Kojo Ahiakpa has triggered a conversation on the composition of official government delegations during international engagements. According to him, while many developed and emerging economies use state visits to promote trade, attract investment and facilitate business partnerships, Ghana’s delegations often appear dominated by politicians, government officials and civil servants.
He is therefore calling for a drastic shift and the reimagining of presidential trips in a manner that advances Ghana’s socio-economic development.
Economic Diplomacy Must Go Beyond Politics
Experts often explain that modern diplomacy is increasingly driven by economic interests. Around the world, state visits are often structured as economic missions, bringing together political leaders and private-sector players to pursue investment opportunities.
Business leaders, entrepreneurs and industry captains are frequently included in foreign delegations because they are the individuals best positioned to negotiate partnerships, secure contracts and identify market opportunities.
Kojo Ahiakpa maintains that without strong private-sector representation, many of the economic benefits associated with high-level diplomatic engagements risk remaining unrealised.
“When leaders of developed nations embark on foreign trips and investment drive campaigns, their delegations are rarely composed solely of politicians and civil servants. Instead, they travel with a robust contingent of business owners, industry captains, entrepreneurs, and innovators. Economic diplomacy is not separate from business; it is business,” he remarked.
He cited that, “The Russian government delegation to Beijing this week was full of Russian businesses and business owners. Several B2B deals worth billions were reached during the engagements. President Mahama is currently in the UK, but all I’m seeing are ministers, politicians, and civil servants in most of the engagements. The seats are filled overwhelmingly with politicians, party officials, and government workers.”
Businesses Are the Real Drivers of Growth
He explains that while governments create policies and provide the regulatory environment, businesses generate jobs, innovation, exports and wealth.
For this reason, Kojo Ahiakpa maintains that sectors such as agribusiness, manufacturing, technology, education, creative arts and entrepreneurship should have a stronger presence during presidential trips abroad.
Including business leaders in official delegations can help local companies establish international networks, access new markets and attract strategic investors capable of supporting expansion and job creation.
He queried, “Where are the agribusiness exporters? Where are the manufacturing CEOs, the tech start‑up founders, creative industry leaders, the education and research leaders, and women entrepreneurs who are actually creating jobs on the ground? Too often, they are left behind.”
Unlocking Investment and Export Opportunities
For Kojo Ahiakpa, every bilateral meeting, trade exhibition or state visit presents opportunities for business-to-business engagements.
When entrepreneurs and company executives participate in such missions, they can directly engage foreign investors, negotiate commercial agreements and showcase Ghanaian products and services.
These interactions can result in export contracts, joint ventures, technology transfers and investment commitments that contribute directly to economic growth.
A stronger private-sector presence could therefore transform foreign trips from largely diplomatic exercises into practical platforms for economic advancement.
He noted that “Every bilateral meeting, every trade fair, and every State visit is a potential platform for forging partnerships, securing export deals, attracting foreign direct investment, and learning from global best practices. But if the private sector is not in the room, those opportunities remain largely untapped.”
The Bottomline
For the concerned Ghanaian, rather than focusing solely on political engagements, future delegations should be designed around measurable economic outcomes, including investment commitments, export deals, technology partnerships, and market access opportunities.
A more balanced delegation comprising policymakers, business executives, innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs could significantly enhance the country’s ability to convert diplomatic goodwill into tangible economic benefits.
If presidential trips are to deliver maximum value to the economy, he believes the future delegation model must evolve from predominantly political entourages to strategic business missions capable of translating international engagements into real opportunities for Ghanaian enterprises and the wider economy.
