On March 28, 2022, Dr. James Rajamani, Chief Chancellor of the India-Africa Trade Council (IATC) for West Africa, praised the Ghanaian government’s decision to reopen land and sea borders, effective the same day, per. President Nana Akufo-Addo announced the reopening on March 27, lifting restrictions imposed on March 21, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, per. Rajamani, in an interview with OTEC News, expressed enthusiasm, stating, “I’m very excited. Business will come back. People have more jobs and people will be much happier and can see their cousins and relatives. It’s very exciting. This is good news,” per.
Economic and Social Impact
The border closure had disrupted trade with Ghana’s neighbors—Togo, Burkina Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire—halting cross-border commerce vital to border communities, per. Rajamani highlighted the reopening’s potential to “rekindle our investment spirit,” emphasizing its role in reviving economic activity, per. “The reopening of the borders is a commendable effort that shows that the government is listening, monitoring and taking into consideration the welfare and security of Ghanaians,” he added, commending the administration’s focus on citizen welfare, per. The decision aligns with ECOWAS’s January 2022 agreement to reopen borders, addressing a $50 billion regional GDP loss from 2020–2021, per.
Details of the Reopening Policy
Akufo-Addo specified that fully vaccinated travelers could enter without a negative PCR test, while unvaccinated citizens and residents must present a negative 48-hour PCR test and may receive vaccination on arrival, per. With active COVID-19 cases below 100 and 16% of Ghanaians fully vaccinated by March 2022, per, the relaxed measures aimed to balance public health and economic recovery. The reopening was expected to boost Ghana’s trade, particularly under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which offers a $3.4 trillion market, per.
IATC’s Role and Regional Context
As Chief Chancellor of IATC’s West Africa region since August 2021, Rajamani has championed trade facilitation between India and Africa, per. The IATC, established in 2020, supports Indian businesses entering the ECOWAS market, with Ghana as a key hub due to its stability, per. The border reopening enhances Ghana’s appeal as a trade gateway, as noted by Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Charles Owiredu, who called Ghana the “most stable country in West Africa,” per. Rajamani’s comments reflect optimism for renewed investment, aligning with IATC’s mission to leverage AfCFTA opportunities, per.
Broader Economic Implications
Ghana’s economy, strained by an 80.1% debt-to-GDP ratio and 14% cedi depreciation in early 2022, per, stands to benefit from restored cross-border trade. The reopening supports initiatives like USAID’s $4.2 million co-investments in Ghanaian firms, aimed at boosting exports and jobs, per. However, challenges like rising fuel costs due to the Russia-Ukraine war and a 40.4% inflation rate by October 2022, per, underscore the need for sustained economic stabilization efforts to maximize the benefits of open borders in 2022.
