Australia-Ghana Relationship

General

Visits

The Australian Government was proud to host Vice President John Dramani Mahama and Foreign Minister Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni during their attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth in October 2011. Earlier in the year, Education Minister Betty Mould Iddrisu attended Sydney University’s Africa Forum in May 2011 where she was the co-keynote speaker with Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd.

Training and Scholarships

Through the Australia Awards scheme, since 2010 numerous Ghanaian students have travelled to Australia to undertake masters-level and short course studies in areas such as health, education, public sector management and mining.

Other Ghanaian government officials have participated in short term capacity building activities in Australia (trade law, diplomacy, mining governance) and in Ghana (diplomacy training).

Community Engagement

The Australian Government actively engages with Ghanaian local communities through the High Commission’s Direct Aid Program. Since 2004, the High Commission has provided more than one million Cedis to support local community projects in the areas of health, education, water and sanitation, solar energy, skills training and agricultural projects.

Australia has also supported sport development in collaboration with Ghana’s National Sports Council (through the Australian Sports Outreach Program), and supported human rights by funding programs to strengthen police accountability (Human Rights Grant Scheme).

Australian Investment

Australian companies operating in Ghana include, amongst many, Adamus Resources Limited, African Mining Services and African Underground Mining Services, Lycopodium, Castle, Azumah Resources, Noble Gold, Owere Mines Company Ltd, BCM, Barminco and Perseus Mining Ltd.

Real Life People To People Linkages

Like most Australians, Boyd Whalan had spent his life with electric light usually available at the flick of a switch. Then in 2010, he travelled to Ghana for a volunteering holiday and saw first-hand how the safe, reliable light he took for granted was still an unattainable luxury for many. His experiences during that six-week trip not only changed him, they might one day change the lives of some of the world’s poorest people. Read More