Ghana’s Ambassador to France, Mavis Ama Frimpong, has held a series of high-level engagements with authorities in the French city of Lyon to deepen bilateral cooperation in agribusiness, healthcare, innovation and investment.
The visit formed part of the Ambassador’s outreach programme to strengthen partnerships with regional authorities and engage the Ghanaian diaspora in France. During the visit, she met with the Prefect of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, Étienne Guyot, and the Deputy Mayor of Lyon, Christophe Jacquemain, to explore collaboration between Ghana and Lyon, France’s third-largest city.
Discussions focused on expanding cooperation in agro-processing, trade and investment, healthcare, education, tourism, transportation, innovation and security. The engagement aligns with Ghana’s broader economic transformation agenda, including the government’s Feed Ghana Programme (2025–2028) and the recently launched US$3.5 billion Agricultural Transformation Compact, both aimed at modernising the country’s agricultural sector, enhancing food security and attracting investment into agribusiness.
Healthcare cooperation also featured prominently during the discussions, building on the momentum generated by President John Dramani Mahama’s participation as co-chair of the One Health Summit in Lyon alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. The summit underscored Ghana’s commitment to integrated approaches to human, animal and environmental health, with France recognising Ghana as one of the countries expected to pioneer the implementation of the One Health agenda.
Lyon’s globally recognised expertise in biomedical research, pharmaceuticals and healthcare innovation was identified as an area offering significant opportunities for partnership with Ghana. The two sides also explored avenues for strengthening collaboration in defence and security, tourism promotion, cultural exchanges and innovation, reaffirming their commitment to translating the discussions into concrete initiatives that deliver mutual economic and developmental benefits.
A key highlight of the visit was a Town Hall Meeting with members of the Ghanaian community in Lyon. Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Frimpong outlined the Embassy’s mandate and provided an update on initiatives undertaken since assuming office. She reaffirmed the Embassy’s commitment to strengthening engagement with Ghanaians across France and encouraged the diaspora to leverage their expertise, networks and investments in support of Ghana’s national development.
The visit reflects Ghana’s growing emphasis on sub-national diplomacy, recognising the role of regional governments, cities and diaspora communities in advancing trade, investment, innovation and people-to-people relations beyond traditional state-to-state engagement.
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