&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Ghana halts US aid talks over 'intrusive' citizen data demands")
The Republic of Ghana has withdrawn from negotiations on a new multi-million-dollar development compact with the US. The breakdown follows a deadlock over US demands for "unfettered access" to Ghana’s national biometric databases as a prerequisite for the aid. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration stated on Tuesday (Apr 28), confirming that the talks, which were part of a broader economic partnership aimed at infrastructure and digital transformation, have been indefinitely suspended.
At the heart of the dispute is a US requirement for real-time integration between Ghanaian national ID systems and American oversight agencies. According to sources within the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), the US sought access to the GhanaCard database managed by the National Identification Authority (NIA) to verify aid distribution and combat potential money laundering. However, Ghanaian negotiators argued that the request bypassed the protections established under the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843).
"The deal is dead," the source said this week, noting that Ghana's negotiating team included health officials, suggesting it may have been partly tied to health. The US team became "hostile"and piled on "pressure" after Ghana pushed back on the demand for personal data, the source told AFP.
The US team became "hostile"and piled on "pressure" after Ghana pushed back on the demand for personal data, the source told AFP.
The deal would have provided Ghana $109 million in funding for five years, according to the source who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, without confirming the specific areas of focus of the proposal. A spokesperson told AFP in an emailed statement that the US State Department "does not disclose the details of ongoing bilateral negotiations" and suggested the funding would have supported "fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases". The funding offered to the West African nation was far less than the $2.5 billion and $2.1 billion offered to Kenya and Nigeria, respectively.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
At least 32 such deals worth about $20.6 billion under the America First Global Health Strategy had been signed as of Monday (Apr 27), according to the US State Department. Relations between Accra and Washington had been cordial in recent months.
(With agency inputs)
