Ghana and Japan on Monday signed a 14-million dollar grant for the improvement of a Power Distribution System project to be carried out in Brong Ahafo and Northern Regions. The agreement was signed by Ms Hanna Tetteh, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and initialled by Mr Naoto Nikai, Japanese Ambassador at a ceremony in Accra. Mr Nikai observed that the Northern part of Ghana lagged behind in terms of electricity distribution. “Improving distribution of electricity will help reduce poverty (and) will go a long way to improve the quality of medical care and raise educational standards,” Naoto Nikai said. Mr Nikai expressed the hope that the project would motivate the local people to engage in small and medium sized businesses that required use of electricity and also promote local industries. Ms Tetteh said Japan had remained a true friend to Ghana in providing various financial and technical assistance for the nation’s socio-economic development. “The Government of Ghana interprets these kind gestures as illustrations of the strong bond of friendship and mutually beneficial co-operation which so happily exist between Ghana and Japan,” she said. On the upcoming Fifth International Tokyo Conference on African Development, Ms Tetteh announced that President John Dramani Mahama is scheduled to attend. The summit would take place from June 1 to June 3 and is expected to boost Japan’s ties with Africa and Ghana in particular.