Beyond Loans: Positioning Ghana to Maximize Chinese Grant Financing
Dr. Eric Nii Amu Okotokata Dodoo-Amoo
Chinese lending to Africa has fallen more than 90 percent from its 2016 peak as Beijing pivots toward smaller, grant-financed "small yet beautiful" cooperation projects, formalized through RMB 80 billion in FOCAC 2025–2027 assistance commitments. For Ghana, navigating post-debt-restructuring fiscal consolidation under an IMF programme, this shift is a strategic opening rather than a constraint: grants create no new debt. This paper sets out six interconnected strategies for increasing Ghana's share of Chinese grant financing — FOCAC-aligned positioning, systematic use of the "small yet beautiful" framework, a green economy showcase strategy, digital diplomacy, agricultural cooperation, and think-tank and people-to-people diplomacy — alongside the institutional coordination needed to pursue them.