Sammy Gyamfi
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, (GoldBod) Sammy Gyamfi, has called on the African diaspora to transition from being “an emergency support system” to becoming “strategic co-architects” of the continent’s transformation, warning that Africa’s rise must be owned by Africans.
Speaking at the EMY Africa — Africa Rising Symposium in London, Mr. Gyamfi said the growing relationship between Africa and its global diaspora must now be converted into “capital that builds, institutions that endure, and ownership that keeps more African value in African hands.”
“The question is not whether the African global diaspora loves Africa. The challenge is whether that love can be organised into institutions, funds, businesses, standards, partnerships, and long-term commitments that outlive emotion,” he told the gathering of industry leaders and diaspora professionals.
Mr. Gyamfi framed the moment as historic, citing data from the Mastercard Foundation’s Africa Youth Employment Outlook 2026 which estimates Africa is home to about 532 million young people aged 15 to 35, a number set to rise through the 2070s.
“If we harness the potential of this youthful population, Africa becomes the world’s next great engine of productivity and creativity,” he said.
He urged diaspora capital and expertise into manufacturing, agribusiness, logistics, IT, green energy, healthcare, value addition, and infrastructure. “Do not only send money home; send systems home. Do not only build houses; build enterprises,” he appealed.
Goldbod As A Model For Value Retention
Drawing from his role at the Ghana Gold Board, Mr. Gyamfi said the institution exemplifies what happens when the state acts “not merely as a regulator, but as a strategic architect of national value.”
“Africa is rich in minerals, yet too often poor in the value created from them. We export what nature gave us and import what human ingenuity made of it,” he noted.
According to him, GoldBod has helped address gold smuggling, formalized the supply chain, strengthened foreign exchange generation and created opportunities for investment in responsible sourcing and value addition.
He announced that GoldBod will soon roll out “gold-backed tokenisation investment assets which will open the way for more Africans to own the mineral wealth of Africa.”
Four-Point Call To Diaspora
Mr. Gyamfi outlined four suggestions: that diaspora capital finance African enterprises that produce and scale; that engagement be based on mutual respect and shared risk; that the diaspora build mentorship platforms and investment vehicles; and that it help Africa retain more value through processing.
He however charged African governments to create enabling conditions through policy stability, respect for contracts and strong institutions.
A Daily Guide Report