John Dramani Mahama, Ghana’s president, has underscored Nigeria’s strategic importance to his stability and prosperity, saying the fortunes of both countries are closely intertwined.
Speaking at the African Heritage Awards in Accra on Saturday, Mahama said Ghana has a vested interest in Nigeria’s success, describing the West African giant as central to regional balance.
“Nigeria is of keen security interest to us. If Nigeria does well, Ghana does well,” he said. “And when you have cousins, 250 million of them, you want them to do well.”
Mahama added that Nigeria’s stability helps prevent economic and migration pressures on smaller neighbours like Ghana. “So that 1 million of them don’t come drifting towards a small country like Ghana,” he said. “Every day I wake up, I pray for Nigeria… let Nigeria get their act together.”
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Behind-the-scenes diplomacy
Mahama also offered rare insight into the diplomatic efforts that secured Akinwunmi Adesina’s emergence as president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2015.
He recalled that Adesina’s candidacy faced uncertainty following a change in government in Nigeria, from Goodluck Jonathan to Muhammadu Buhari, raising concerns about whether the new administration would maintain support.
According to Mahama, he took a proactive step by inviting Buhari to a historic Ghanaian site to secure continuity.
“I invited President Buhari… and when I had put him in the best mood… I said, ‘President, you know Akin Adesina is our joint candidate, Ghana and Nigeria… I hope you’re not going to make a change,’” he recounted.
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Mahama said Buhari reassured him that Nigeria would continue backing Adesina, a decision that ultimately proved pivotal.
“He assured me that Akin was their candidate and everything else is history,” he said.
Mahama praised Adesina’s performance at the African Development Bank, describing his tenure as impactful and worthy of recognition.
“He’s done phenomenal… we’re proud,” he said, also acknowledging the support system around the development economist, including his family.
Adesina, who exited the AfDB in 2025 after ten years of service, was honoured with the African Lifetime Achievement Award at the event. The African optimist-in-chief dedicated the award to Nigeria, describing the honour as a shared national triumph rooted in opportunity, sacrifice and service.
