The role of diaspora in Ghana’s economic development
The dictionary defines the word, “Diaspora”, as “the movement of the Jewish people away from their own country to live and work in other countries”.
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“Diaspora” is also defined as “the movement of people from any nation or group away from their country”.
This article is about the Ghanaian Diaspora and the role Ghanaians living abroad can play in the country’s economic development.
The Israeli or Jewish people are about the largest number of nationals of a nation that have moved away from their country into other nations.
Nationals of a country do move out for various reasons. Migrating out of one country to another could be for “greener pastures”.
Others do virtually flee their country because of war, extreme drought or poverty, persecution and genocide, among others.
For the Jews, many of them left Israel because of the long-standing historic conflict with their Arab neighbours.
From May, 1948, after the United Nations declared Israel an independent state carved out of Palestine, Jewish migration back to their homeland, increased considerably.
From a “non-existent” nation to a small country, Israel is today a highly-developed nation in the Middle East with an estimated per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $37,778.2 for 2017.
The Israelis achieved rapid economic development through migration to Israel and massive contributions by Jews in Diaspora.
In the Ghanaian context, it has been conceived long ago that Ghanaians should emulate the Israeli example by encouraging Ghanaians in Diaspora to come home to contribute to the country’s economic and political development.
Who is a Ghanaian in Diaspora?
“Ghanaian citizens and other immediate relatives or ancestral stakeholders domiciled outside Ghana who exhibit voluntary affinity for Ghana are considered as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora.”
Some attempts have been made in the past to encourage Ghanaians abroad to return home and contribute to Ghana’s economic development.
Part of this has been the establishment of the Ghana Diaspora Homecoming Summit. The summit is a conference organised by the Government of Ghana to establish relationship with the Diaspora community.
The goal of the summit is to harness capital for economic development by encouraging Ghanaians living abroad to invest in the country.
A Ghanaian Diaspora Homecoming Committee has been set up to plan and execute, periodically, a summit for Ghanaians in the Diaspora.
Ghanaian professionals and academics abroad who are willing to come home to contribute to the nation’s development, are some of the members of the committee.
“Our mission is to enhance sustainable mechanisms, supporting and promoting full Diaspora participation in Ghana’s economic development,” the committee has stated in a publication.
Launching the 2017 Ghana Diaspora Homecoming Summit in Accra last May, Mr Mustapha Hamid, Minister of Information, has said: “For any government to make its political development and economic calculations without the diaspora, automatically gives up 40 to 50 per cent of its economic strength.”
“We are, therefore, determining that there will be diaspora inclusion in our development agenda and it will be at the heart of our projects grammes,” he added.
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In that pursuit, the Akufo-Addo government has established a Diaspora Relations Office at the Office of the President in Accra.
The Director of the office, Akwasi Awua Ababio, has stated that previous attempts at harnessing the energies and financial resources of Ghanaians in the Diaspora had failed because the measures were not structured systematically.
He added that the exclusion of Ghanaians living abroad from the political process also accounted for the failure.
“Our office has been tasked with the responsibility of doing things that will enable us to realise the goals and opportunities the country can derive from the Diaspora community,” he added.
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The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has decided to approach the Ghanaian Diaspora issue and its economic potential in an entirely differently way.
For example, the government has decided to implement the Representation of the People’s Amendment Act (ROPAA) passed in 2006, to accord Ghanaians abroad the chance to vote. Implementation of ROPAA will give meaning to the popular expression, “no vote, no taxation”.
It appears that Ghanaians in Diaspora have not responded fully to the come-home mantra because they have been denied the vote for a long time.