Ghana’s President John Mahama has said the US election is a defining moment for the world.

In the view of the President, who is also facing a tight polls next month, the outcome of America’s vote will determine the direction of many things in the world.

“This election that is taking place in the United States is a defining moment for this world. It will determine a lot of things that are going to happen in our future,” the President said in address to students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump will become the 45th US president after a stunning victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, the Associated Press news agency reports.

The Republican nominee's projected victory came down to a handful of key swing states, despite months of polling that favoured Mrs Clinton.

The battlegrounds of Florida, Ohio and North Carolina cleared the way for his Brexit-style upset.

Global markets plummeted, with the Dow set to open 800 points down.