Ghana, UK make progress in talks to secure IELTS exemption for students, professionals – Ablakwa

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says Ghana has made significant progress in negotiations with the United Kingdom to exempt Ghanaian students and professionals from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examinations.

In a post on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, Mr Ablakwa said discussions with the UK Foreign Secretary, Edward Miliband, had established that Ghana meets the minimum statistical threshold for English proficiency required for favourable consideration.

“Thus far, we have demonstrated that Ghana meets the minimum statistical threshold in English proficiency for favourable consideration by our UK friends. Both sides remain highly optimistic,” he stated.

Mr Ablakwa disclosed this after a meeting with Mr Miliband, during which the two officials reviewed bilateral relations and explored opportunities to deepen cooperation between Ghana and the UK.

He said the meeting also highlighted the positive trajectory of trade and investment between the two countries.

“We welcomed the impressive upward trajectory in Ghana-UK trade and investments,” he said.

The discussions also covered President John Dramani Mahama’s vision for reparatory justice and prospects for broader dialogue following a United Nations resolution led by Ghana declaring the transatlantic enslavement of Africans the gravest crime against humanity.

On multilateral cooperation, the two officials discussed shared priorities ahead of 2027, when Ghana is expected to chair the African Union while the UK assumes the G20 presidency.

They also assessed preparations and areas of common interest ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting scheduled for next month in Antigua and Barbuda.

Mr Ablakwa expressed appreciation to the UK Foreign Secretary for hosting him, reaffirming Ghana’s commitment to strengthening relations between the two countries.

“I thank the outstanding Foreign Secretary for his warm hospitality. We deeply cherish our longstanding Ghana-UK relations,” he added.

If secured, the proposed IELTS exemption could ease an important requirement for Ghanaian students and professionals seeking opportunities in the UK.

However, Mr Ablakwa did not provide a timeline for concluding the negotiations or implementing the proposed exemption.