Ghana signs further nurses' labour pact with Saint Kitts and Nevis in New York

Pinned summary · as of 16:03

Ghana has struck a second labour pact with Saint Kitts and Nevis, this one aimed at improving the terms of Ghanaian nurses working there. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who leads Ghana's diplomacy as foreign minister, signed it with the island federation's Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Geoffrey Hanley, in New York, and Mr Ablakwa publicised the signing himself.

What we know

• Ghana and Saint Kitts and Nevis have concluded a new labour pact covering Ghanaian nurses employed in the Caribbean federation. Pulse Ghana and Graphic Online both describe it, and MyJoyOnline says it is meant to give the nurses better conditions of service.
• Mr Ablakwa and Dr Hanley put their names to the document in New York while the United Nations General Assembly was under way, which Graphic Online places at the 81st session.
• As Mr Ablakwa described it, nurses sent to Saint Kitts and Nevis are to receive higher salaries with legal protection, medical cover, a housing allowance and payments on completing their service, together with wider labour rights.
• The signing follows a first labour agreement concluded in March 2026 to arrange the recruitment and temporary posting of Ghanaian health professionals in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
• By June, 47 Ghanaian nurses had gone to Saint Kitts and Nevis under that first arrangement, according to Ghanaian News (Canada) and Pulse Ghana.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Graphic Online, echoed by MyJoyOnline, reported that Mr Ablakwa praised Ghanaian professionals for making the country proud, saying many nations seek their skills, and that Ghana will keep pursuing diplomacy that benefits its people. These remarks have not appeared in the accounts from Pulse Ghana or Ghanaian News (Canada).
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  Pulse Ghana reported that the 47 nurses left in June for a two-year placement under the Ghana Labour Exchange Programme, split between 32 general nurses and 15 nurses in community and public health. The breakdown has not been confirmed by other reports.
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  Pulse Ghana says Mr Ablakwa announced the agreement on X, whereas MyJoyOnline refers to a Facebook post, dated Monday in one report and Tuesday, 29 September, in another. The accounts do not agree on the platform or the day.
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  Chale News reported that a first group of 43 Ghanaian nurses flew to Jamaica under a separate arrangement, with 400 expected eventually. No other report has confirmed this.
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  Ghanaian News (Canada) reported that Ghana signed a separate memorandum of understanding in September 2026 with the City of Columbus, Ohio, on recruiting Ghanaian nurses and other health workers for the United States. This has not been confirmed elsewhere.

Why it matters for Ghana

Nurses weighing postings abroad now have written promises on salary levels, insurance, a housing allowance and end-of-service payments, which spell out what they can expect from an overseas contract. The reports do not say how many nurses will be recruited under the new terms or when, and they do not address how hospitals in Ghana will cope as staff leave. The deal shows the government using negotiation between states to secure employment terms for citizens who work overseas.