Governor Bryan to Become the First USVI Governor and the First U.S. Governor of African Descent to Visit Ghana While in Office
Governor Albert Bryan announces plans to lead official delegation of key USVI officials to Accra, Ghana in November during the Government House Weekly Press Briefing on Monday, November 10, 2025 at Government House in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — Governor Albert Bryan Jr. will lead an official Government of the Virgin Islands delegation to Accra, Ghana, from November 22 to 30 to advance trade, tourism, cultural and technology partnerships with West Africa. The delegation includes senior representatives from the Department of Tourism, the Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority and the Virgin Islands Next Generation Network (viNGN).
Governor Bryan said the visit is designed to produce practical outcomes for Virgin Islanders while honoring shared history.
“Ghana is not just a heritage destination for Virgin Islanders. It is a potential partner for trade, tourism, finance and technology. This delegation is about turning shared history into shared opportunity,” Governor Bryan said. “We have sent official delegations to Denmark for years. That history matters and we will continue to honor it, but we also must be just as intentional about our ties to West Africa, where so many of our family ancestry is from. Both stories are part of who we are.”
“This is a working trip. Tourism will talk routes and experiences. The EDA will pursue investment and free zone opportunities. viNGN will explore digital connectivity and fintech. We want partnerships that put Virgin Islanders to work and create value in both directions,” the Governor said. “When we recognized African Heritage Week and African Liberation Day early in my tenure, we made a promise to connect our culture to our future. This visit keeps that promise by linking education, culture and business with concrete actions.”
The official USVI delegation’s agenda in Accra is expected to include meetings with leaders at the Ghana Free Zones Authority; engagements with Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare; senior leadership of the Bank of Ghana; and a meeting with His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. The delegation will also visit the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, tour Osu Castle and meet with community and business leaders in the Osu neighborhood.
The delegation will also visit the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, tour Osu Castle and meet community and business leaders in the Osu neighborhood. This outreach builds on years of people to people links between the Virgin Islands and Ghana through cultural exchanges and heritage observances.
In 2019, months after taking office, Governor Bryan issued an executive order recognizing African Heritage Week and African Liberation Day as May 25 each year in the Territory.
Over the years, Virgin Islands delegations and cultural groups have taken part in Emancipation commemorations and related exhibits in Ghana, highlighting the VI–Ghana connection and it is the intent of the governor’s official visit is to continue to build on those ties.
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