A Matter Of Pride: PM Modi Receives Prestigious Order of The Star of Ghana Award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honoured with The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana, on Thursday.

After receiving Ghana's highest civilian award, PM Modi thanked the Ghanaian President for the honour and called it a "matter of immense pride".

What PM Modi Says?

"It is a matter of immense pride and honour for me to be conferred with Ghana's highest honour... I express my deep gratitude to President Mahama, the Government of Ghana and the people of Ghana. I humbly accept this honour on behalf of 1.4 billion Indians," PM Modi stated.

The Prime Minister said he dedicated the award to the youth of both countries. "I dedicate this award to the aspirations of our youth, their bright future, our rich cultural diversity and traditions and the historic ties between India and Ghana," he said.

The award was presented during PM Modi's visit to Ghana, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in more than 30 years.

I thank the people and Government of Ghana for conferring ‘The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana’ upon me. This honour is dedicated to the bright future of our youth, their aspirations, our rich cultural diversity and the historical ties between India and Ghana.

This… pic.twitter.com/coqwU04RZi

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 2, 2025

Before being conferred with the award, PM Modi held talks with President Mahama where the two leaders agreed to elevate their relationship to a "Comprehensive Partnership". As part of this decision, both countries will increase cooperation in defence and security under the principle of "Security through Solidarity". PM Modi described India as a "co-traveller" in Ghana's journey toward "nation-building".

"The President and I have agreed to elevate our bilateral relationship to the level of a 'Comprehensive Partnership.' India is more than just a partner; it stands as a co-traveller in Ghana's journey toward nation-building," he stated.

"In the defence and security sector, we will progress with the guiding principle of 'Security through Solidarity.' Collaboration will be strengthened in key areas such as armed forces training, maritime security, defence supply chains, and cybersecurity," PM Modi claimed.

Feed Ghana Programme

India will set up a Skill Development Centre for vocational education and support Ghana's 'Feed Ghana' programme. "Today, we have decided to double the ITEC and ICCR scholarships for Ghana. Work will be done to establish a Skill Development Centre for vocational education of youth," PM Modi added.

"In the agricultural sector, we would be happy to cooperate with President Mahama's 'Feed Ghana' program. Through Jan Aushadhi Kendra, India proposes to provide 'affordable healthcare, reliable care' to the citizens of Ghana. We discussed cooperation in vaccine production," he stated.

The Indian PM announced that India aims to double its trade with Ghana within the next five years and will share its digital payments platform, Bharat UPI.

"We have made the decision to double our trade in the next five years. In the FinTech sector, Bharat UPI will provide the digital payment experience to Ghana," he stated. He also emphasized the importance of enhanced cooperation in counter-terrorism initiatives.

"We are united in acknowledging terrorism as a significant threat to humanity. We express our sincere appreciation to Ghana for its invaluable support in combating terrorism. In this context, we have committed to further strengthening our collaborative efforts in counter-terrorism," he remarked.

President Mahama welcomed PM Modi to Ghana, noting that the visit symbolizes the robust historical relationship between the two nations.

"This visit serves as a testament to the deep-rooted historical connections between Ghana and India, established through the visionary leadership of Ghana's first President Kwame Nkrumah and India's former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, as well as the continually strengthening bonds of friendship and cooperation that benefit our two sister countries," he stated.

He mentioned that the discussions encompassed critical sectors such as agriculture, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, healthcare, and human resources.

This marks the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ghana in over thirty years. The journey is anticipated to strengthen the India-Ghana partnership and signifies New Delhi's ongoing commitment to Africa and the Global South.

With inputs from ANI