List of ambassadors of Sweden to Ghana
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Mr. or Madam Ambassador (informal)
Swedish Embassy, Abuja
| Ambassador of Sweden to Ghana | |
|---|---|
since 2025 | |
| Ministry for Foreign Affairs | |
| Style | His or Her Excellency (formal) Mr. or Madam Ambassador (informal) |
| Reports to | Minister for Foreign Affairs Swedish Embassy, Abuja |
| Seat | Abuja, Nigeria[a] |
| Appointer | Government of Sweden |
| Term length | No fixed term |
| Inaugural holder | Torsten Brandel |
| Formation | 16 August 1961 |
The Ambassador of Sweden to Ghana (known formally as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Republic of Ghana) is the official representative of the government of Sweden to the president of Ghana and the government of Ghana. As Sweden does not have an embassy in Accra, its ambassador in Abuja, Nigeria, is also accredited to Ghana.
The British colony of the Gold Coast proclaimed its independence during festivities in Accra on 3–10 March 1957, and at the same time adopted the name Ghana. The Swedish government had received an invitation to be represented and appointed envoy Nils Ståhle to represent Sweden at the ceremonies in the capacity of ambassadeur en mission spéciale.[1]
In May 1960, a Swedish delegation undertook a trip to West Africa in which nine countries were visited, including Ghana. The purpose of the journey was, among other things, to provide Swedish authorities with the supplementary information that was needed in order to comprehensively assess the appropriate extent of Swedish representation in this part of Africa.[2] In January 1961, Sweden planned to establish three new diplomatic missions in Africa, including an independent mission in Monrovia, Liberia.[3]
The proposed mission in Monrovia was intended to serve not only Liberia but also Ghana, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. A delegation recommended setting up at least two missions in West Africa, prioritizing Monrovia and Lagos.[4] On 16 August 1961, Sweden's then newly appointed ambassador in Monrovia, Torsten Brandel, was also appointed ambassador to Ghana.[5] Ambassador Brandel presented his credentials to President Kwame Nkrumah in October 1961.[6] He thus became Sweden's first ambassador accredited to Ghana.
In 1967, accreditation for Ghana was transferred to the Swedish ambassador in Nigeria, who has since then been concurrently accredited to Ghana.
List of representatives
| Name | Period | Title | Notes | Presented credentials | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Republic of Ghana (1956–1966) | |||||
| Torsten Brandel | 16 August 1961 – 27 April 1962 | Ambassador | Resident in Monrovia | October 1961 | [7][6][8] |
| Bo Järnstedt | 1962–1964 | Ambassador | Resident in Monrovia | 27 April 1962 | [8] |
| Olof Ripa | 1964–1966 | Ambassador | Resident in Monrovia | [9] | |
| Second Republic of Ghana (1966–1979) | |||||
| Olof Ripa | 1966–1967 | Ambassador | Resident in Monrovia | [9] | |
| Carl Swartz | 1967–1969 | Ambassador | Resident in Lagos | [10] | |
| Bertil Arvidson | 1970–1972 | Ambassador | Resident in Lagos | [11] | |
| Pierre Bothén | 1973–1974 | Ambassador | Resident in Lagos | [12] | |
| Karl-Anders Wollter | 1974–1977 | Ambassador | Resident in Lagos | [13] | |
| Vidar Hellners | 1977–1979 | Ambassador | Resident in Lagos | [14] | |
| Third Republic of Ghana (1979–1993) | |||||
| Vidar Hellners | 1979–1981 | Ambassador | Resident in Lagos | [14] | |
| Bo Elfwendahl | 1981–1985 | Ambassador | Resident in Lagos | [15] | |
| Lave Johnsson | 1986–1989 | Ambassador | Resident in Lagos | [16] | |
| Göran Zetterqvist | 1989–1992 | Ambassador | Resident in Lagos | [17] | |
| Arne Ekfeldt | 1992–1993 | Ambassador | Resident in Lagos | [18] | |
| Fourth Republic of Ghana (1993–present) | |||||
| Arne Ekfeldt | 1993–1997 | Ambassador | Resident in Lagos | [18] | |
| Lars Ekström | 1997–2002 | Ambassador | Resident in Lagos | [19] | |
| – | 2003–2003 | Ambassador | Vacant | [20] | |
| Birgitta Holst Alani | 2004–2005 | Ambassador | Resident in Lagos | [21] | |
| Lars-Owe Persson | 2005–2008 | Ambassador | Resident in Abuja | [22] | |
| Per Lindgärde | 2008–2012 | Ambassador | Resident in Abuja | [23] | |
| Svante Kilander | 2012–2016 | Ambassador | Resident in Abuja | [24] | |
| Inger Ultvedt | 2016–2019 | Ambassador | Resident in Abuja | [25] | |
| Carl Michael Gräns | 2019–2022 | Ambassador | Resident in Abuja | [26] | |
| Annika Hahn-Englund | September 2022 – 2025 | Ambassador | Resident in Abuja | [27] | |
| Anna Westerholm | 2025–present | Ambassador | Resident in Abuja | ||