President Akufo-Addo has launched the Diaspora Engagement Policy, building on a mutually beneficial relationship between the country and its diaspora populations around the world for the purpose of achieving sustainable development of the country.
It is also intended to strengthen systems for involving the Ghanaian diaspora in mobilizing resources for sustainable national development.
Presenting the concept to an audience at the Office of the President, Jubilee House, Accra President Akufo-Addo explained that the diaspora support is not only for remittances but also for the exchange of knowledge, skills and innovation for long-term investment for sustainable development.
The Country Director of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Dr. Dirk Aßmann, affirmed, “The Diaspora is a bridge that connects us to a wealth of knowledge, skills and connections that can take Ghana to new heights of inclusive development.”
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the estimated number of Ghanaians currently living abroad ranges between 1.5 million and 3 million, and they are found in more than 33 countries worldwide.
Despite the impact of the pandemic on global economies, remittances alone to Ghana according to World Bank’s 2021 Migration and Development report shot up by 5% to US$3.6 billion with Ghana ranking second behind Nigeria in the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
Consequently, the launch of the Diaspora Engagement Policy would facilitate the judicious use of human and material resources of the diaspora for the socio-economic transformation of Ghana.
The launch follows a series of stakeholder engagement and consultations.
These efforts were led by the Diaspora Affairs Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, supported through capacity development measures, policy advisory and peer-to-peer exchange by the programme “Shaping Development-oriented Migration” (MEG), an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
Other partners include the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana.
The Diaspora Engagement Policy represents a momentous milestone in the nation’s developmental trajectory and will remain an initiative that signifies the formal introduction and implementation of a comprehensive framework aimed at effectively utilizing the immense economic, socio-cultural and diplomatic power embedded within Ghana’s global diaspora.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri