President Mahama announces strategic shift from renting to owning diplomatic properties abroad
President John Dramani Mahama has announced a ground-breaking initiative to end Ghana’s costly practice of spending over $15 million annually on diplomatic property rentals abroad, unveiling the Strategic Transition from Rental to Developing (STRIDE) initiative during a ceremony for newly appointed ambassadors and high commissioners.
“Let me be emphatic, Ghana cannot continue spending a staggering more than $15 million every year on renting properties abroad for our diplomatic use,” President Mahama declared. “This is not a judicious use of taxpayers resources, and the reset agenda requires an immediate reversal of this trend.”
The President announced that Cabinet has promptly approved the STRIDE initiative, which he described as “the strategic transition from rental to developing our own properties.”
President Mahama revealed that concrete steps are already being taken to implement this transformative strategy. “I’ve tasked the ministers for Foreign Affairs and finance to work urgently to resolve this long standing challenge,” he stated.
According to the President, significant progress has been made: “A transaction advisor has been appointed. Standard designs are being developed and funding mechanism funding mechanisms are already being negotiated.”
The STRIDE initiative promises dual benefits for the West African nation. “This decisive shift will ensure that our missions abroad are housed in properties that are owned by the Republic, reducing wasteful expenditure, while safeguarding Ghana’s dignity on the international stage,” President Mahama emphasized.
The announcement comes as part of the administration’s broader “reset agenda,” which the President described as “a bold vision to restore hope in our people, to rebuild trust and to rekindle the movement towards prosperity.”
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed Ambassadors and High Commissioners on Thursday,, President Mahama stressed the importance of fiscal responsibility in diplomatic operations. “Integrity must be your watchword. The public financial management act and all relevant regulations must guide your stewardship of public resources that are put in your care,” he urged.
The President also called on the diplomats to become “Vanguards of Ghana’s economic diplomacy,” transforming their missions into “dynamic hubs of export promotion, investment attraction, tourism marketing, innovative change and diaspora mobilization.”
The STRIDE initiative represents a significant shift in Ghana’s diplomatic infrastructure strategy, moving from a rental-based model to property ownership that promises long-term cost savings and enhanced national representation abroad.
With the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance now tasked with urgent implementation, Ghana is positioning itself for a new era of strategic diplomatic property management that prioritizes both fiscal responsibility and national dignity on the international stage.
The initiative is expected to significantly reduce Ghana’s annual diplomatic expenditure while ensuring that the country’s missions abroad operate from properties that reflect Ghana’s sovereignty and commitment to prudent resource management.
