Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa covering President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. government, UN, IMF, World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington and New York.
United States Vice President Kamala D. Harris will have her first full day in Ghana on Monday, after arriving there on Sunday on a three-nation African tour that will also take her to Tanzania and Zambia.
“It’s my great honor to be on the continent of Africa – first here in Ghana, then to Tanzania and Zambia. I look forward to meeting with leaders, young people, and entrepreneurs as we work together to invest in the innovation and ingenuity across the continent,” Harris tweeted on Sunday after arriving in Accra, the capital of Ghana.
Her busy day on Monday will include a bilateral meeting with President Nana Akufo-Addo, a visit to Vibrate studio, a community recording studio for young creatives in Accra, and a State Banquet hosted by President Akufo-Addo and First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo.
During her bilateral meeting with President Nana Akufo-Addo, the Vice President “will re-affirm the U.S. position that all bilateral creditors should provide meaningful debt reduction and express support for Ghana’s engagement with the IMF,” a senior administration official said, adding that both leaders will also discuss efforts to support long term economic growth and increase U.S. private sector investment.
Harris will meet with President Akufo-Addo at Jubilee House and affirm the strength of the bilateral relationship, and the long-standing ties between the American and Ghanaian people.
They will also discuss a range of global and regional issues including: democracy, good governance, and human rights; regional security; long-term economic growth and macroeconomic stability; and their work together on the UN Security Council.
On democracy, good governance, and human rights, they will discuss efforts to stand up for democratic principles on the continent and shared opposition to recent democratic backsliding, while on regional security, they will discuss the Sahel and efforts to promote stability, including through new U.S. funding for stabilization efforts.
The White House said the Vice President “will thank President Akufo-Addo for his leadership in strengthening ties between Africa and the African Diaspora.”
After meeting with President Akufo-Addo, Harris will visit Vibrate Space, a community recording studio for young creatives located at Freedom Skatepark in Accra, as part of her effort to engage directly with young people and highlight the dynamism and creativity taking place across the continent.
There, she will tour the facility and meet with a group of musicians including up-and-coming artists that represent the new generation of Ghanaian and Ghanaian-American entertainers.
Her visit will spotlight the growing creative economy and underscore the strong links between our nation’s artistic and diaspora communities. The Vice President will be joined by Actors Idris Elba and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Vibrate opened in 2022 in partnership with Kendrick Lamar’s company pgLang, Spotify, and local sports NGO Surf Ghana. Vibrate aims to empower young people by equipping aspiring music entrepreneurs with the necessary tools to compete in the global music market.
READ More about Vibrate Space and Ghanian music industry:
- Vibrate runs a music business educational program that includes public workshops (called “masterclasses”) dedicated to acquiring hands-on skills like recording, mixing, mastering, and DJing to cater to the diverse needs of Ghana’s dynamic music industry. Previous masterclasses have attracted more than 200 people at each session to learn about live performances, songwriting, and producing from musicians from Nigeria, South Africa, and other parts of the continent.
- Vibrate is located at Freedom Skatepark, Ghana’s first fully functioning skateboard park, which uses action sports as a driver for creative self-expression, social inclusion, and female empowerment.
- Accra has developed a reputation as a music destination after attracting huge crowds to the Global Citizen Festival, Afronation, Afrochella, and the Black Star Line Festival between September 2022 and January 2023.
- Kendrick Lamar chose to release his latest album in May 2022 while in Accra. Freedom Skatepark has drawn visits from well-known American artists traveling to Ghana, including Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, and Pharrell Williams, as well as partnerships with the late fashion designer Virgil Abloh and Vans.
In the evening, President Akufo-Addo will be a hosting a State Banquet in honor of the Vice President and Second Gentleman’s visit to Accra, Ghana. Approximately 300 guests, invited by the Ghanian government, will attend, including several dozen prominent members of the African Diaspora in the United States.
