Ghana Commemorated the 55th anniversary of the Organisation International de La Francophonie (OIF) with a flag-raising and tree-planning ceremony at the Forecourt of the State House on Thursday 20th March, 2025 under the theme “I Educate Myself Therefore I Act”
Addressing the gathering, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa(MP), who was the guest of honour, expressed his delight to host Ghana’s commemoration of the La Francophonie Day as a full member of the OIF. He recalled Ghana’s journey towards becoming a member of the organization in 2006 and attaining full membership in 2024, He expressed his profound gratitude to Ambassador Thi Hoang Mai, the West African Representative of the OIF, her team, all OIF members and partners for their support during this transition phase.
He underscored the importance of Ghana’s geographical location, “as a country that is situated among Anglophone and Francophone Africa, Ghana recognizes the importance of bilingualism and cross-cultural collaboration, thus the decision to seek full membership of the OIF was, driven by Ghana’s strong historical, political, and economic connections to her Francophone neighbours, especially Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Togo, as well as the larger French-speaking world.” Additionally, he stated that the decision was informed by the desire to bridge the cultural divide, provide opportunities for cultural and educational collaboration, enhance diplomatic cooperation, unlock new economic opportunities, trade and investment potentials, and promote people-to-people interactions within the African continent and beyond.
He indicated that this decision perfectly aligned with the vision of His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama’s vision of positioning Ghana’s diplomacy to promote good neighbourliness, regional integration, advance Ghana’s interests on the global stage, and ensure that our international relations contribute positively to our national development agenda.
Reaffirming Ghana’s commitment to building bridges between Anglophone and Francophone communities, he stated that Ghana was keen on contributing to regional peace and stability, promoting the shared values of democracy, human rights, cultural diversity, and sustainable development. Commenting on the relevance of theme for this year’s celebration, “I educate myself, therefore I act”, he highlighted the crucial role education played in the constantly evolving world, characterized by the effects of climate change, global health crises, economic inequality, social injustice, and technological disparity. Adding that, it was the reminder for developing countries like Ghana that access to good quality education is critical for an inclusive development that guarantees the well-being and prosperity of its citizens.
In conclusion, the Hon Minister expressed the hope that Ghana’s full membership of the OIF would contribute to reconciliation and peace-building within the organization and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to La Francophonie’s principles and aspirations for a fair, just, and inclusive world.
Delivering his address, H. E. Maher Kheir, the Lebanese Ambassador to Ghana, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and President of the La Francophonie Ambassador’s Group, used the opportunity to congratulate Ghana on the attainment of full membership of the Organisation de La Francophonie (OIF) and emphasized the significance of bilingualism in enhancing Ghana’s diplomatic, economic, and educational prospects. While commending the Ministry of Education for its initiative on a bilingual education in schools across the country, He envisioned that this initiative would nurture in few years to come, a new generation of young Ghanaians highly competitive on the job market.
He used the opportunity to invite the gathering to participate in the Francophone Festival from 22nd March to 13th April, 2025 to experience the richness of the francophone world through music, poetry, theatre, cinema, gastronomy among others, while encouraging the gathering to engage in meaningful discussions on how to build together, a future of cooperation, innovation, and shared prosperity. He mentioned that “as we celebrate La Francophonie today, we honor not only the French language but also the incredible cultural diversity it brings together, creating a space where differences are not barriers but bridges; where dialogue, understanding, and cooperation thrived across continents”
The highlight of the ceremony was the hoisting of the flags of Ghana and the OIF and a tree-planting exercise with the Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, the Chairperson of the parliamentary select committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Oko Vanderpuye, and Osu-Alata Mantse, Nii Kobina Bonney in attendance. The rest were Senior Officials and men of the security forces, government officials, the members of the Diplomatic Corps, some selected schools and media houses.