MCC Setback: Ghana Has Been “Blacklisted” Over Debt, But It Runs Deeper Than Just Debt Default

The trending justification when news broke that Ghana had been excluded from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) funding for 2026 was the country’s recent debt default; however, it is emerging that the debt reason might be just a smokescreen for something deeper.  

A renowned International Relations Expert, Prof. Vladimir Antwi-Danso, is revealing that the debt is just part of the story.

The bigger picture, he argues, is that the decision reflects the United States’ foreign policy interests and the ways it leverages aid to exert influence across Africa.

For Prof. Antwi-Danso, it appears that Ghana may have been excluded from the MCC funding because it is not playing ball with the US, as other countries are cooperating to help advance the course of the Donald Trump-led administration’s foreign policy.

Aid and Influence: The Politics Behind MCC

Prof. Antwi-Danso recalls that Ghana was among the first beneficiaries of the MCC, receiving about $547 million in 2006. This disbursement was one of the largest allocations in Africa at the time.

But beyond development assistance, he stresses that MCC has always been a tool of U.S. foreign policy. The U.S, he says, advances its foreign power and influence through what it funds.

He indicates that countries in the good books of the US usually enjoy numerous benefits and, in turn, are supposed to make some sacrifices in favour of the superpower.

In his view, Ghana’s current exclusion is less about financial mismanagement and more about refusing to play ball.

“In actual fact, when you are in the good books of the U.S., you get whatever you want. At the initial inception of the MCC, you know, Ghana got $547 million and approval for Africa, which means we got a chunk, a big chunk of it. Now, the account, U.S. tries to project its foreign policy outside, what it wants. And so it is more security, more of security, more of politics, and more of influence,” he indicated in an interview monitored by The High Street Journal.

Security Demands Tied to Aid

Prof. Antwi-Danso further maintains that security is at the center of the U.S. aid and foreign policy. This means assistance often comes with conditions that stretch far beyond economics.

He notes that security guarantees are at the center. The IEA fellow speculates that the US may be demanding access to Ghana’s strategic infrastructure.

He points to similar developments in neighboring Côte d’Ivoire, where the U.S. is reportedly helping to build a jumbo-jet-sized airfield in Korhogo, near the border with Burkina Faso.

“They have done this to Ivory Coast. And they are building a jumbo-jet-sized kind of airfield in Korhogo. And all is geared towards annihilating whatever is going on in Burkina,” he stated.

He continued that, “Because what does Korhogo need in the northern part of Ivory Coast? A big jumbo-jet-sized runway. Why so? And then if you read the text, it’s very annoying because they are demanding a lot. As if they are going to take Ivory Coast’s security into their hands, one way or the other.”

For him, Ghana’s MCC exclusion could be a bargaining chip, an attempt to pressure the government into offering comparable concessions.

Burkina Faso, Niger, and the Wider Sahel Crisis

The international relations expert further indicates that the geopolitical puzzle, in this stance, is incomplete without considering Burkina Faso and Niger, both of which have recently fallen out of Western influence after military takeovers.

It is speculated that the U.S. is currently shoring up nearby allies like Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana as part of containing insecurity and maintaining strategic dominance.

He said, “They may not like what is going on in Burkina and Niger and everything. So they may demand Ghana, give me your Tamale airport; I will extend it to house our whatever it is. So there is the possibility of them using this ploy to force Ghana to give them something.”

This, he says, is how aid becomes a lever of control.

Should Ghana Bend or Stand Firm?

While acknowledging that MCC has historically brought benefits, Prof. Antwi-Danso cautions against over-dependence. “If I were the government, I would be resilient,” he advises.

 He says the government should let Ghanaians understand that if the MCC is not there, the country will still survive.  For him, aid should not become a tool that undermines Ghana’s sovereignty.

The MCC exclusion may be officially explained by Ghana’s debt crisis, but Prof. Antwi-Danso insists the underlying issue is far bigger.

“If I were the government, I would be resilient. I would let Ghanaians understand. Yes, the beginning challenge account helps. But if it is not there, if it were not there, what would we do? he quizzed.

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