Accra to be Columbus' first African Sister City

Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman will soon sign a sister-city agreement with Mayor of Accra, Ghana, making it the city's first African partner.

Columbus officials began working with Ghanaian officials last year, and partnerships have already sprung up between Ohio State, Franklin University, the King Arts Complex and related institutions in the Ghanaian capital.

Coleman and Accra Mayor Alfred Vanderpuije will sign the official agreement in a ceremony Monday at the King Arts Complex Pythian Theater.

Columbus has sister-city agreements in place with several cities, including Genoa, Italy; Dresden, Germany; Seville, Spain; and Curitiba, Brazil.

Coleman says, as the city's first African-American mayor, he wanted to set up a sister city arrangement with an African city before leaving office.