State Visit to the Republic of Ghana - Day 2

In the afternoon, His Excellency was welcomed to the University of Ghana by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ernest Aryeetey, and a group of dancers.

The Governor General then met with His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, to further strenghten the bilateral relations between Canada and Ghana.

The event took place at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana. Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) has recently provided funding to the ISSER through the Think Tank Initiative to support the research project Gender and Enterprise Development in Africa: A Cross-Country Comparative Study.

The Governor General delivered a speech on the intersection of education, innovation and the economy to academics, administrators, university students and NGOs that specialize in education and development.

The speech was followed by a discussion with Canadian delegates Mr. Paul Davidson, President of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (left), and Mr. Jean Lebel, Acting President of International Development Research Centre (right), and Ghanaian panellists, which was moderated by the Honourable Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman, Minister of Education.

The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest public university in the country. Its mission is to develop world-class leaders and capabilities to meet national development needs and global challenges through quality teaching, learning, research and knowledge dissemination.

Her Excellency Sharon Johnston visited the Kathy Knowles Osu Community Library in Accra. His Excellency joined her for storytime with the children. Upon his arrival, he was greeted by the library staff.

Her Excellency introduced the Governor General to the children who benefit from this free literacy program. She also presented a gift of Canadian books that have won the Governor General’s Literary Award for children’s literature text and illustration.

Her Excellency participated in a course on maternity skills for Ghanaian women.

In the evening, Their Excellencies attended a State dinner hosted by the President of the Republic of Ghana.

During the dinner, the Governor General discussed with His Excellency Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana, whom he had met earlier in the day.

The Governor General and the President delivered speeches on this occasion.

His Excellency spoke about the economic ties between Canada and Ghana to business leaders from both countries who are involved in Ghana’s growing economy.

The Governor General and Canadian delegates attended a business luncheon focusing on trade relations between Canada and Ghana. The working luncheon was attended by over 120 Ghanaian business representatives, composed primarily of Canadian-based firms or their representatives, important partners of Canada, senior members of the Canada-Ghana Chamber of Commerce, and Ghanaian government agencies.

On this occasion, the Governor General met with His Excellency Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana.

An expanded meeting with the official and accompanying delegations also took place.

The President's Office in situated inside Flagstaff House.

Following their meeting, the Governor General and the President delivered a joint statement and answered questions from members of the media.

On the morning of May 14, Their Excellencies arrived at Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park for a wreath-laying ceremony.

Along with Canadian delegates, Their Excellencies paid homage to the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, former president of the Republic of Ghana (1960-1966), who oversaw the nation’s independence from British colonial rule on March 6, 1957, and became the first president of the country.

Their Excellencies entered into the Mausoleum for the wreath laying ceremony.

Their Excellencies laid wreaths on the tombs of the late president and his wife, Fathia Nkrumah.

Following the ceremony, Their Excellencies took a minute to look at the statue of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. The statue's head was cut off during a coup in 1966.

Her Excellency toured the psychiatry section of the hospital and met with staff.

Her Excellency visited BasicNeeds Ghana, a non-governmental organization that aims to increase recognition and respect for underprivileged people suffering from mental illness.

This non-governmental organization (NGO) received support from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, which went towards training for local political bodies, NGOs and community-based organizations to include mentally ill individuals and primary caregivers in their planning.

In 1990, Canadian Kathy Knowles read from a basket of books to six children in her garden in Accra. Two years later, she transformed a 40-foot shipping container into a permanent library for children. The project was such a success that the Osu Children’s Library Fundhas since built seven large libraries in Greater Accra and supports more than 200 initiatives in Ghana and beyond.