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EXCLUSIVE | Mahama Visit Focuses on Gold, Reform & Economic Partnership
Lusaka, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, who arrived in Zambia on Wednesday, remains in Lusaka today as his three-day State Visit enters its final stretch, with departure expected later this afternoon.
The visit, held at the invitation of President Hakainde Hichilema, has moved beyond ceremonial diplomacy into something more concrete: an attempt to deepen economic cooperation between two African economies navigating similar reform pressures, mineral governance challenges, and debt restructuring realities.
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What has unfolded since Wednesday is increasingly being framed as an economic mission, with gold management, trade, and investment partnerships at the centre.
Speaking during bilateral talks at State House on Thursday, President Mahama proposed stronger cooperation between Ghana and Zambia, arguing that long-standing political friendship must now translate into measurable economic partnerships.
He noted that both countries are currently implementing reforms while facing similar difficulties, including fiscal consolidation and debt restructuring.
“The long-standing friendship between our two nations should now translate into concrete economic partnerships,” Mahama said, highlighting mining, agriculture, and trade as priority areas.
The remark lands in a context where Zambia is attempting to shift its macroeconomic story from crisis response to structural stabilisation, following years of debt stress and currency volatility.
A key driver of the visit is Zambia’s renewed focus on gold governance.
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Just days before Mahama’s arrival, Zambia deployed the military to shut down illegal mining operations at Kikonge in North-Western Province, underscoring the state’s intent to tighten control over mineral flows and prevent illicit exploitation.
President Hichilema has repeatedly pointed to Ghana as a continental reference point in gold management, with Zambia seeking lessons on how mineral wealth can benefit citizens rather than fuel disorder.
Mahama himself acknowledged that both countries face challenges across artisanal, small-scale, and large-scale mining operations, making cooperation timely.
Both leaders have agreed to strengthen the Zambia–Ghana Permanent Joint Commission, raising bilateral engagement from periodic diplomacy into continuous sector-based cooperation.
Discussions have covered mining value addition, agriculture, trade facilitation, and investment partnerships.
For markets, this matters. These are not abstract talking points, but sectors tied directly to foreign exchange inflows, job creation, and long-term competitiveness.
Mahama also praised Zambia’s improving macroeconomic direction, pointing to the stabilisation of the kwacha and reforms that are restoring investor confidence.
President Mahama addressed Zambia’s National Assembly on Thursday, drawing both cheers and moments of heckling, reflecting the charged political environment in which economic diplomacy is now unfolding.
Still, his core message remained economic: Africa’s partnerships must deliver practical outcomes, not just political symbolism.
Mahama invoked the founding-era friendship between Kwame Nkrumah and Kenneth Kaunda, framing the current engagement as a continuation of Pan-African solidarity..
But the emphasis has shifted from liberation politics to economic transformation.
For President Hichilema, Ghana’s experience offers a case study in how mineral wealth can be better structured into reserves, state ownership mechanisms, and national benefit.
As Mahama’s visit concludes later today, attention turns to implementation.
Several cooperation areas remain under discussion, including trade expansion, mining governance, private-sector partnerships, and visa-free movement arrangements awaiting operational follow-through.
Investors and regional observers will watch whether this engagement produces lasting institutional and commercial outcomes, or remains a high-level exchange.
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President Mahama’s presence in Lusaka this week has carried a clear economic message: Zambia and Ghana are positioning themselves not just as political allies, but as reform-oriented partners seeking shared strategies in mining governance, macroeconomic stabilisation, and long-term growth.
If agreements translate into real investment flows, structured mineral management, and deeper trade cooperation, this State Visit may stand out as more than diplomacy.
It may mark a meaningful step in Zambia’s evolving economic diplomacy under President Hichilema.
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