In 2025, diplomatic passports have become one of the most debated subjects in Ghana’s political and cultural discourse.
The conversation began earlier this year when the newly elected National Democratic Congress (NDC) government launched a nationwide recall of all diplomatic and service passports. The move, officials said, was designed to curb misuse and restore order after years in which public figures and former officials continued to benefit from travel privileges long after leaving office.
In May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration confirmed that the directive had taken immediate effect. Out of hundreds of documents recalled, 407 diplomatic passports and 403 service passports were returned before the deadline. However, 341 diplomatic passports and 360 service passports were not handed back and have since been cancelled, with their numbers placed on a stop-list.
The cancellation swept across a wide range of categories — from former ministers, MPs, and judges to religious leaders, entrepreneurs, and individuals associated with the controversial National Cathedral project. The ministry emphasized that, under the Passports and Travel Certificates Act, 1967 (NLCD 155), only those currently serving in official state positions are eligible to hold such documents.
Yet just months later, the same passports returned to the spotlight — this time in celebration rather than scrutiny.
At the official media launch of the Ghana Diaspora Summit & Awards Gala 2025 in Accra last week, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced that five prominent personalities had been awarded diplomatic passports in recognition of their roles as cultural ambassadors.
Read Also: Over 700 Diplomatic and Service Passports Cancelled by Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The recipients — YouTuber Wode Maya, Grammy-nominated musician Rocky Dawuni, broadcaster Anita Erskine, visual artist Ibrahim Mahama, and GUBA Awards founder Dentaa Amoateng — were also named ambassadors for the upcoming summit, which will be held in December under the theme “Resetting Ghana: The Diaspora as the 17th Region.”
Ablakwa explained that the recognition was granted under the authority conferred on the Foreign Minister by NLCD 155. “This forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen Ghana’s diplomatic toolkit by empowering cultural ambassadors whose influence advances trade, tourism, cultural exchange, and soft power diplomacy,” he said.
For critics, however, the contrasting stories of cancellation and conferment raise questions about who truly deserves access to such privileges. To supporters, extending diplomatic passports beyond traditional state officials to globally recognised cultural figures is both strategic and necessary, reflecting the changing nature of diplomacy in a world where music, art, and digital media influence perceptions as much as political statements.
Types of Passports in Ghana
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Ordinary Passports are available to all citizens for personal travel, education, or business.
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Service Passports are reserved for public officials travelling abroad on government assignments.
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Diplomatic Passports are traditionally issued to ambassadors, ministers, MPs, and other senior officials — but now, increasingly, to cultural icons whose work projects Ghana onto the global stage.
Why Diplomatic Passports Matter
Holding a diplomatic passport goes beyond its burgundy cover. The document often grants visa waivers or expedited processing at ports of entry, and in some cases, limited immunity under international agreements. But perhaps more than anything, it carries weight as a symbol of prestige and national trust.
As Ghana prepares for the December Diaspora Summit, the debate continues: should diplomatic passports remain the preserve of government officials, or is the country right to expand them to figures whose global influence strengthens the nation’s image abroad?
Source: ameyawdebrah.com/
