Ohio Senator Says $225,000 Ghana Deal Undermines Local Nursing Jobs

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, sent a letter to Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther on Wednesday morning to express disappointment over a new healthcare agreement with Ghana. The senator accused the mayor of spending public funds to recruit overseas nurses instead of training local residents. Moreno stated that the city directed $225,000 toward the partnership, a sum he called a small portion of a larger spending trend.

The city and Ghanaian officials signed a memorandum of understanding in September to establish the Ghana-Columbus Nursing Partnership Programme. The accord aims to strengthen nursing education and create legal pathways for qualified Ghanaian nurses to join Ohio’s healthcare workforce. Moreno wrote that the city chose to direct these public dollars toward recruiting nurses from overseas rather than investing in Ohio's domestic workforce.

The senator argued that the program risks replacing American nurses with cheaper foreign labor. He warned that publicly subsidized foreign recruitment would likely hurt the wages of American nurses. Moreno urged Ginther to put the money into Ohio nursing students and expand capacity at the state's universities and colleges. He noted that the mayor is elected to serve the citizens of Columbus, not the citizens of Ghana.

The $225,000 figure cited in the letter was approved by the Columbus City Council as a 2026 general fund grant to Greater Columbus Sister Cities International. The ordinance states the money supports business, government, cultural, educational, and environmental exchanges among the city's 10 sister cities, including Accra, Ghana. It also covers the organization's staffing and administrative costs.

Critics on social media have questioned why tax dollars are not funding nursing scholarships for Ohioans. Attorney and Republican strategist Mehek Cooke asked on X why public funds were not used for domestic careers. Policy analyst Parker Thayer pointed to a homecare nurse from Ghana who allegedly stole millions from Medicaid earlier this year and fled back to Ghana. Thayer suggested the incident highlights risks in the current arrangement.

Ginther spoke at the signing ceremony, according to a press release from the government of Ghana. He said Ghana has made a major investment in training nursing professionals who can migrate legally to enter a ready market in Columbus. The Ghanaian officials described the agreement as a strategic platform for mutual skills transfer, institutional strengthening, and joint research collaborations. They emphasized that the deal goes beyond labor migration to include health innovations and improved patient outcomes worldwide.

Moreno hopes the mayor will redirect public money toward expanding enrollment and training capacity at area colleges and universities. He believes that approach would create more high-earning job opportunities for younger generations in the community and improve patient care.