Ghana Diaspora Homecoming summit in July

Prominent leaders from the West African sub-continent and around the world are expected to join more than 500 Ghanaians living outside the country at the biggest gathering of Ghana’s Diaspora in Accra.

Dubbed: “Ghana Diaspora Homecoming Summit 2017”, the summit is expected to take place at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) from July 5 to 8, 2017.
Summit themes
The summit is a direct outcome of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s election campaign pledge to involve Ghanaians living abroad in the development of the country.
The agenda will cover three main themes which are expected to set out the opportunities for business investment in Ghana, as well as the political inclusion of Ghanaians living abroad.
Running parallel to the four-day summit will be an exhibition at which companies, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), entrepreneurs and corporate bodies will demonstrate their support for the objectives of the event, as well as showcase employment opportunities and business projects that require special talents or resources that the Diaspora may be able to provide.
At the launch of the event in Accra, the Director of the Diaspora Relations Office at the Presidency, Mr Akwasi Awua Ababio, said the government was fully committed to the mobilisation and harnessing of the resources and skills of the Diasporan community for the accelerated development of the country.
Commitment to Diaspora inclusion
“The Diaspora community is equally committed to the challenge of being equal and recognised partners in the government’s development effort,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of Frontline Capital, a major sponsor of the summit, said: “We see this initiative as a potential shot in the arm for the economy and future prosperity of this country at a time when there is much work to do.”
He posited that work equated to opportunity whether in employment or business-building and that Ghana needed proven talent and strong work ethics to create value and competitive industries across a broad swathe of market sectors.
Harnessing resources of the Diaspora
The Minister of Information, Mr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, said the skills and resources the Diaspora offered were a central component of the governance plan of the government.
Towards that end, he said, President Akufo-Addo was determined to ensure that everything was done to remove any impediments that would hinder the effective contribution of those in the Diaspora to national development.
He recounted that the President had travelled abroad and met with Ghanaians to sell his message of the inclusion of Ghanaians in the Diaspora in his scheme of governance.
He said the government was prepared to go the extra mile in harnessing the opportunities available in the Diaspora for enhanced development.