The African diaspora is an asset, which can be leveraged for growth. In addition to financial flows to their origin countries, they contribute to development by creating businesses and stimulating innovation, thanks to the experience they have acquired abroad and their knowledge of the local context.

The 2022 Ghana Diaspora Summit was held in Canada last September 11-17. In her keynote address, Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful presented the investment opportunities offered by the Ghanain tech sector to encourage Ghanaian tech entrepreneurs living in Canada to invest in the origin country. 

“We are also taking advantage of our position as an English-speaking country to attract back-office business processes, and outsource contracts from the US, Canada, and Europe. We already have several Ghanaians taking up such jobs and doing marvelously from the comfort of their homes. [...] This is an area that has the potential to expand further with investments from the diaspora. It will help to boost the status of the youth into entrepreneurs and help to solve the youth unemployment problem in the country,” she said. 

According to the government official, Canadian exports to Ghana have increased by 8.97% per year over the past 25 years, from US$23.8 million in 1995 to US$372 million currently. While Canadian imports from Ghana have been about US$100 million yearly.

To fill the gap, diaspora entrepreneurs should develop partnerships with local entrepreneurs by training the youth and giving them the expertise and skills they need to work with international clients thanks to digital technologies and platforms built in Ghana, she indicated.

She added that the Ghanaian government is implementing digital projects to empower the youth. Among the many projects, there is the “Girls in ICT” program, a 10-year-old program that equips young girls with digital skills. The Communications minister also spoke about the “Ghana Cares Obatampa” program, a project designed to stabilize, revitalize and create jobs and prosperity for Ghanaians over three years in the post-Covid era.

The Ghana Diaspora Investment Summit is an initiative of the Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC). It aims to strategically engage the Ghanaian Diaspora and attract their long-term investments and partnerships to spur socio-economic development. 

Samira Njoya