Dr. Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah speaking at the launch
Director of Diaspora Affairs Ghana, Akwasi Awua Ababio, has officially launched the ‘Year of Return, Ghana 2019’ programme to mark the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the English colonies of North America which happened about 400 years ago.
The programme consists of series of activities that seek to engage some 500,000 African descendants from the diaspora who will be visiting the country.
Activities lined up for the event include conferences, summits, exhibitions, awards ceremony, film festivals, spiritual pilgrimage, fashion shows among others.
Speaking at the launch in Accra on January 15, 2019, Mr. Ababio indicated that there will be over 34 events across different venues in the country to celebrate the occasion, which was first launched in the US by President Akufo-Addo in September last year.
“This is the ‘Year of Return’. It is to showcase the activities we offer here to we want our brothers and sisters in the US to buy into this idea by participating as it is very important for us to engage with history,” he added.
He also mentioned that the committee set up to organise the year long event will liaise with the Tourism Society of Ghana.
Mr. Ababio, therefore, urged the youth to work together so as to create opportunities for businesses and help pursue Ghana’s economic transformation agenda.
Present at the launch was Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States of America (USA), Dr. Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah, who was hopeful that the hallmark of Ghanaian hospitality and love will be on full display to visitors in the country.
“We have to take this opportunity to showcase the country and the kind of loving and welcoming people we are to encourage people to come and do respectable investments,” he added.
The programme is being organised by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), with support from the Office of Diaspora Affairs, the Panafest Foundation and the Adinkra Group of USA.
By Paul Nyojah Dalafu