Ghana, City of Columbus sign MoU to establish nursing partnership programme

Ghana and Columbus, Ohio have formalized a partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch the Ghana-Columbus Nursing Partnership Programme. The initiative, signed on September 14, 2026, seeks to bolster nursing education, workforce development, and healthcare collaboration between the two jurisdictions. The signing ceremony took place at the Michael B. Coleman Government Center in Columbus and was attended by Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, Ghana's Minister for Health Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, and Ghana's Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum.

The programme will pave the way for qualified Ghanaian nurses to legally enter Ohio's expanding healthcare sector. This development is a natural extension of the existing Sister-City agreement between Columbus and Greater Accra, which was established in 2015. Mayor Ginther expressed Columbus's appeal as a rapidly growing city in the United States and welcomed the opportunity to bolster people-to-people exchanges with Ghana.

He highlighted that Ghana has invested significantly in nursing professionals capable of legally migrating to find employment in Columbus.

Akandoh emphasized that the MoU is not merely about facilitating the migration of Ghanaian nurses. Instead, it serves as a strategic platform for broader healthcare collaboration. It aims to facilitate skill transfer among medical professionals, strengthen healthcare institutions, promote joint research and innovation, and ultimately enhance patient health outcomes globally.

Agyekum, for his part, praised the resilience of Ghana's healthcare workforce and suggested that the framework could serve as a model for similar cross-border partnerships in other US states.

Ambassador Jane Gasu Aheto of the Ghanaian Embassy in Washington, DC, commended the Ghanaian diaspora in Columbus for their instrumental role in initiating this partnership. She urged all stakeholders to ensure that the agreement transitions from a mere document to a practical and impactful programme that can transform lives. The partnership is being facilitated by Buckeye Africa Exchange, StrideHx, and Columbus Sister Cities International.