…. As Nkrumah and Mahama are Honoured at Global South Summit
GSM-FACC 2026 to Open New Africa–Asia Trade, Investment, Education and Agricultural Partnerships as Ghana Helps Shape the Emerging Global South Architecture
Story: Mohammed A. Abu ACCRA/MUMBAI — Ghana is set to take centre stage at the forthcoming 1st Global South Ministers, Farmers, Academia & Chambers of Commerce (GSM-FACC) Summit, Awards & International Expo 2026, with President John Dramani Mahama expected to receive a Global South Leadership Award, while Ghana’s first President, the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, will be honoured posthumously for his historic contribution to Africa-Asia solidarity and South-South cooperation.
The high-level Summit and International Expo will take place at the World Trade Centre, Mumbai, India, from 16–18 October 2026, bringing together Ministers, government representatives, farmers, academia, researchers, chambers of commerce, businesses, investors, women and youth leaders and development partners from across Africa, Asia, the Arab Region, Latin America and the Caribbean and the wider Global South.
The Summit is being coordinated by the Africa Asia Scholars Global Network (AASGON), the Global South Economic Forum (GSEF) and the Global South Universities Association (GSUA), in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP), the South Centre and the Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East and North Africa (AARINENA).
It is being hosted by the World Trade Centre Mumbai (WTC Mumbai) and the All-India Association of Industries (AIAI). Nkrumah’s Bandung Legacy Meets a New Generation of Global South Leadership
The posthumous recognition of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah carries particular historical significance. In 1955, as Prime Minister of the then Gold Coast, Nkrumah participated in the historic Bandung Conference, which helped establish a new platform for solidarity and cooperation among the nations of Africa and Asia.
His vision of African independence, economic sovereignty and international cooperation continues to resonate with the contemporary agenda of South-South cooperation.
The recognition of President Mahama alongside Nkrumah creates a powerful bridge between Ghana’s historic contribution to the Global South movement and its contemporary role in shaping new partnerships for trade, investment, food security and sustainable development.
President Mahama has also been invited to serve as a Grand Patron of the Global South Sustainable Development Council (GSSDC), joining an eminent circle of international leaders and distinguished patrons. “From Solidarity to Practical Partnerships” Abdul ‘Dewale Mohammed, Convenor of the GSM-FACC Summit and Founder of AASGON and GSEF, said the Summit is intended to transform the spirit of South-South cooperation into practical economic, institutional and development partnership.
Dr.Abdul Adewale Mohammed,Founder,AASGON-GSEF
The Global South possesses enormous human, agricultural, intellectual, entrepreneurial and natural-resource potential. GSM-FACC is designed to connect that potential—to connect governments with business, farmers with markets, universities with industry and knowledge with investment.
We want to move the Global South from declarations of solidarity to structures of cooperation and measurable results.” He said Ghana’s participation has particular significance because of the country’s historical leadership in South-South cooperation and its growing role as a bridge between Africa and Asia.
WTC Mumbai: Connecting Ghana and Africa to Global Markets Dr. Vijay G. Kalantri, Chairman of the World Trade Centre Mumbai and President AIAI, said the Summit and International Expo provide an important opportunity to strengthen economic and commercial relations between India, Africa and the wider Global South.
Dr.Vijay G. Kalantri,Chairman,WTC,Mumbai
“The World Trade Centre Mumbai is honoured to host GSM-FACC 2026. We see this Summit as an opportunity to bring governments, chambers, businesses, farmers, academia and investors into one ecosystem where dialogue can lead to real trade, investment and business partnerships. Africa, India and the wider Global South have enormous complementary strengths, and Mumbai provides a natural platform for connecting these opportunities.”
The host institution has reaffirmed its commitment to providing an international platform through which participating countries can showcase their economic potential and build new commercial relationships
Ghana at the Heart of the Emerging Global South Trade Architecture One of the most strategically significant developments at the Mumbai Summit will be the planned inauguration of the Global South Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture (GOSCCIMA) under the Global South Integrated Development Framework (GS-IDF). For Ghana, this represents a particularly important opportunity.
As host country of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Ghana already occupies a unique position within Africa’s emerging continental trade architecture. Engagement with GOSCCIMA could further strengthen Ghana’s role as a bridge between African markets and the expanding economies of Asia and the wider Global South.
The Summit provides an opportunity for the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), government agencies, private-sector organisations, exporters, agribusinesses and investment institutions to engage directly with the emerging GOSCCIMA network.
Mr.Wamkele K.Mene,AfCFTA SG
Such engagement could facilitate new opportunities for trade, investment, technology transfer, market access, joint ventures and value-chain development.
Nana Dr. Appiagyei Dankawoso I: Ghanaian Leadership Behind GOSCCIMA Ghana is also well positioned to contribute leadership to GOSCCIMA through Nana Dr. Appiagyei Dankawoso I, its Founding Director-General, whose distinguished experience includes serving as a former Chairman of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI).
Dr.Nana Appeagyei Dankasso I,GOSCCIMA,Founding DG
His experience at both national and continental chamber levels provides an important institutional bridge between Ghanaian business, African commerce and the wider Global South private-sector community.
This places Ghana and Africa in a potentially advantageous position to help shape an emerging international chamber network designed to strengthen South-South trade, investment and business cooperation.
International Expo: Showcasing Ghana to the Global South The GSM-FACC International Expo will be a major component of the Mumbai programme.
For Ghana, the Exhibition offers an important opportunity for government agencies, businesses and development institutions to showcase the country’s natural resources, agricultural potential, value-added and processed products, agribusinesses, industrial capabilities, investment opportunities and emerging enterprises before international governments, investors, chambers and businesses.
The Exhibition is intended to go beyond conventional product display. It will provide a government-to-business, business-to-business and investment platform through which participating countries can identify markets, attract investment, establish partnerships and connect enterprises with international buyers and institutions.
A strong Ghanaian presence could therefore help transform the country’s natural and agricultural potential into new trade relationships, investment opportunities, technology partnerships and international market access.
For the Africa Free Trade Centre and Ghana Chamber of Commerce, participation also presents an opportunity to establish practical cooperation with GOSCCIMA and help connect Ghanaian and African enterprises to emerging Global South markets.
Mr.Stephane Abbas Meizan,Prez,GNCCI
Ghana as a Gateway for African Higher Education and Knowledge Partnerships Ghana’s strategic advantage extends beyond trade, agriculture and investment.
The country is also uniquely positioned through its role as a major hub for African higher education and academic cooperation.
Ghana hosts the headquarters of the Association of African Universities (AAU), one of the continent’s leading umbrella organisations for higher education institutions.
Prof Olosola Bandele Oyewole,AAU DG
The AAU is a founding member association of the Global South Universities Association (GSUA), one of the institutional ecosystems of the Global South Integrated Development Framework (GS-IDF) and a co-organiser of GSM-FACC 2026.
This convergence places Ghana at an important intersection of African higher education, Global South academic cooperation, research, innovation and economic development.
Through GSUA and the wider GS-IDF architecture, Ghanaian universities and other African higher education institutions can strengthen links with universities, research institutions, governments, business and investors across Asia, the Arab Region, Latin America and the wider Global South.
The Summit’s Universities Forum will provide an additional platform for cooperation in research and innovation, student and faculty mobility, joint programmes, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, smart agriculture and sustainable development. The convergence of AAU, GSUA, GOSCCIMA and GSM-FACC therefore presents an emerging institutional bridge connecting higher education and research with agriculture, commerce, industry, investment and sustainable development across the Global South.
Ghana–Asia Partnerships Create a Strong Foundation. The Summit comes as Ghana continues to deepen strategic cooperation with Asian partners in education, agriculture, technology, infrastructure and economic development.
Among developments cited are a $30 million China-funded university project in Damongo, a $92 million South Korean financing arrangement for the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences in Bunso, and expanding academic cooperation between Ghanaian and Asian institutions.
The University of Ghana has strengthened ties with Peking University and Zhejiang University of Technology, with cooperation focusing on technology, research and joint training. Engagement with Fujian Jiangxia University has also explored student and faculty exchanges and scholarships in engineering and agriculture.
These partnerships provide a foundation for expanding Ghana-Asia cooperation beyond education into agricultural technology, manufacturing, research, investment, value-chain development and international trade. First Lady Lordina Mahama and the Woman Farmer Agenda
The Summit will commemorate the UN International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF) 2026 and place women farmers firmly at the centre of the international agricultural and development agenda. As part of the programme, the Global South Alliance of
As part of the programme, the Global South Alliance of Women Farmers (GSAWF) is planned to be launched at the Summit. H.E. Mrs. Lordina Mahama, First Lady of the Republic of Ghana, is expected to be honoured and invited to serve as a Founding Patron of GSAWF, further highlighting Ghana’s contribution to advancing the recognition, empowerment and economic participation of women farmers across the Global South.
From Dialogue to Practical Partnerships Held under the theme: “Advancing Global Partnerships for Food Security, Climate Resilience, Circular Economy and Shared Prosperity,” The GSM-FACC Summit seeks to translate high-level dialogue into practical partnerships and measurable economic opportunities.
Its high-level programme will include a Ministerial Forum, CEOs Forum, Development Finance Forum and Investors Roundtable, alongside Women Leaders and Youth Innovation Forums, AI & Smart Agriculture Forum, Bamboo Economy Forum, Global South Diaspora Forum and Universities Forum.
Together with the International Expo, these platforms will create opportunities for government-to-government cooperation, business partnerships, investment mobilisation, research collaboration, technology transfer and access to new markets. A Strategic Moment for Ghana and Africa
For Ghana, the Mumbai Summit is therefore much more than another international conference. It offers an opportunity to honour the legacy of Kwame Nkrumah, recognise contemporary Ghanaian leadership, showcase Ghana’s economic and agricultural potential, strengthen Africa-Asia relations and help shape the emerging architecture of Global South trade, education, research and sustainable development.
The convergence of Ghana’s role as host of the AfCFTA Secretariat and AAU headquarters, its participation in GSUA, the launch of GOSCCIMA and GSAWF, its growing Asian partnerships and the leadership of Ghanaian institutions and business figures could position Ghana as an important gateway for Africa-Asia trade, investment, education, research and knowledge cooperation.
For Africa more broadly, GSM-FACC offers an opportunity to connect the continent’s vast human, academic, agricultural, entrepreneurial and natural-resource potential with new markets, technologies, investment and institutional partnerships across the Global South.
The Mumbai gathering seeks to build on the legacy of the pioneers of South-South cooperation while creating a new generation of partnerships—from political solidarity to economic cooperation, from knowledge to innovation, from dialogue to investment, and from shared aspirations to shared prosperity.
The message from Mumbai is clear: Ghana has an opportunity not merely to participate in the emerging Global South architecture, but to help shape it.
