The maiden edition of the Ghana Diaspora Investment Summit will begin today, June 23, 2021 at the Kempinski Gold Coast City Hotel in Accra. The two-day event organized by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) aims at creating an opportunity to foster partnerships between domestic and diaspora investors. It will showcase Ghana as the destination of choice for doing business, as well as to spur the inflow of Diaspora Direct Investments.

The Summit is under the theme ‘The New Normal, Leveraging Diaspora Investments to build back better’. It will bring together various primary stakeholders to steer conversations on the Ghana-Diaspora business relationship.

Speakers at the Summit

The Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Mr Wamkele Mene, is among the host of speakers who would address the participants. Meanwhile, Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchway will also speak at the event.

Other speakers include Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GIPC, Mr. Yofi Grant.

The Summit is consistent with the recent, “Beyond the Return” initiative, follow-up to the “Year of Return” campaign launched in 2019. The Summit hopes to engender a more constructive interaction with Africans in the diaspora. Meanwhile, it will also bring on board all people of African descent in areas such as trade and investment, as well as skills and knowledge development. There will be exhibitions and opportunity to pitch projects during the Summit.

Furthermore, It can be recalled that President Akufo-Addo stressed during the commemoration of the “Year of Return”, the need to effectively mobilize and engage the diaspora as active partners in the country’s development.

“Let us all remember that the destiny of all black people no matter where they are in the world is bound up with Africa. We must help make Africa the place for investment, progress and prosperity and not from where our youth flee in the hope of accessing the mirage of a better life in Europe or the Americas”.

Various measures to engage the Diaspora

Moreover, over the years, the government has initiated various measures to amplify and create awareness for a greater contribution of the diaspora to Ghana’s economic development. Key among them is the setting-up of the Diaspora Investment Desk (DID) at the GIPC.

According to Mr. Yofi Grant, CEO of GIPC, a lot of Diasporas have consistently expressed interest in either living or establishing a business in Ghana.

“It is, therefore, our expectation to convert these opportunities to viable economic activity that will benefit the nation and the continent as a whole.

“I’m confident that the summit will, thus, open the door for partnerships and encourage sustained home-based investments by persons in the diaspora, as we consider them as our partners in development”.

The Ghana Diaspora Investment Summit will take place under the auspices of the Office of the President. It is also supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ministry of Information and the Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President. Other collaborators include the Diaspora Africa Forum, and Beyond the Return Secretariat under the Ghana Tourism Authority.