The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was established in 1957 with Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, then leader of Government Business, as the first Foreign Minister.

A Permanent Secretary was the head of administration, aided by Principal Assistant Secretaries who headed the various departments.

On 6th March, 1957, when Ghana became independent, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah made a historic foreign policy pronouncement.

The concept of free, proud, confident Africa was to dominate the foreign policy of Ghana. The independent state of Ghana had at its disposal, competent diplomats who had been selected and trained in 1955 to implement her foreign policy.

Three very senior civil servants were also drafted into the Foreign Ministry to occupy higher posts.

Dr. Nkrumah established an autonomous African Affairs Secretariat under his personal direction primarily to promote and effect his vision of African Unity – a foreign policy issue which normally should have fallen within the purview of the Foreign Ministry.

After his overthrow in February 1966, the Secretariat was incorporated into the Ministry.

The Ministry and its diplomatic missions abroad constitute the Ghana Foreign Service charged with the control, direction and coordination of Ghana’s external relations. In addition to diplomatic missions, honorary consulates are established to complement the work of the former in the promotion of investment, trade and tourism as well as the discharge of consular functions in areas with significant Ghanaian communities.

The name of the Ministry has undergone various changes in Ghana’s recent history.

Its current name, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, was designated in 2009 to emphasise the importance of regional integration as a foreign policy objective.