Samia Nkrumah explains what deeper ties with Russia means for Ghana

Samia Nkrumah, daughter of Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, has called for stronger relations between Ghana and Russia beyond trade and economic cooperation, stressing the need for deeper friendship, cultural understanding and people-to-people exchanges.

She said although the two countries had maintained longstanding relations in areas such as education, science, technology and energy, there was a need to strengthen their partnership through a better understanding of their respective cultures and people.

Speaking at the 3rd Russia-Africa Media Summit in Moscow, on October 27, 2026, Samia noted that Ghana’s cooperation with Russia should not be limited to economic transactions but should be supported by strong diplomatic and social ties.

“I know we import a lot of petroleum products from Russia, but we want the collaboration to even go beyond trade and economy because it needs to be supported by strong friendship and understanding of our different cultures and different peoples,” she said.

She explained that Ghana and Russia had a long history of cooperation dating back to the era of her father (Dr Kwame Nkrumah), who pursued a foreign policy aimed at building relationships beyond Ghana’s former colonial power, Britain.

According to her, Ghana under Dr Kwame Nkrumah sought international allies to advance African unity, support liberation movements and reduce the country’s dependence on its former colonial power.

President Mahama arrives in Moscow for Russia-Africa Summit

She said Russia was among the countries with which Ghana developed ties during that period, with the relationship extending to education, science and technology.

Samia cited the presence of Ghanaian students in Russian universities and the Soviet Union’s assistance to Ghana in the 1960s to begin building its first nuclear reactor for peaceful purposes as examples of the longstanding partnership.

She explained that the nuclear project was intended to support Ghana’s energy needs and industrialisation ambitions.

While acknowledging that cooperation in energy and petrochemical industries remained important, she said the relationship had significant potential for expansion.

Samia added that strengthening friendship and cultural understanding between Ghanaians and Russians would help deepen the existing partnership and create opportunities for broader cooperation.

She said there was room for improvement in Ghana-Russia relations, adding that the Russia-Africa Media Summit provided an opportunity to explore ways of strengthening the ties between the two countries.

Watch the video below

Ghana’s cooperation with Russia should ‘go beyond trade and economy’ — daughter of Ghana’s first president Kwame Nkrumah, Samia Nkrumah

She links those ties to her father’s efforts to break dependence on Britain, calling for stronger friendship and cultural understanding alongside energy and petrochemical cooperation

— RTRussia (@RT_Russia_) October 27, 2026

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