Ghana has withdrawn from negotiations over a proposed multi-year assistance package with the United States following a dispute over data access, a source familiar with the matter has revealed.
According to the source, discussions collapsed after Washington requested access to personal data belonging to Ghanaian citizens—an issue that raised serious concerns among officials in Accra.
The development comes amid a broader shift in US engagement across Africa, where new health-focused aid arrangements are being pursued after the administration of US President Donald Trump scaled back the role of non-governmental organisations and dismantled the long-standing USAID framework.
Ghana’s delegation to the talks reportedly included key health sector officials, indicating that the proposed agreement may have had a significant healthcare component.
“The deal is dead,” the source said this week.
Tensions are said to have escalated during the negotiations when Ghana resisted the data-sharing demand. The source told AFP that the US delegation became “hostile” and intensified “pressure” on the West African country after its refusal.