The Director of Diaspora Affairs at the Presidency, Kofi Okyere Darko, has called for the formation of more diaspora-led initiatives to strengthen national development and deepen ties between Ghana and its citizens abroad.He said such programmes particularly those involving the younger generation of Ghanaians born outside the country must not be allowed to fade after a single cycle, but should be replicated and sustained to drive long-term transformation.Mr Darko made the call when members of the Roots to Ghana programme and their European-based investors paid a courtesy call on the Diaspora Affairs Office at the Presidency in Accra on Wednesday to review the outcomes of the recently concluded initiative and explore pathways for formal collaboration with government.Roots to Ghana is a diaspora exchange programme that connects Ghanaian professionals in Europe with development opportunities in Ghana through short-term skills-sharing placements.It was launched through a partnership launched among three organisations - FORIM, a France-based African diaspora network; CAGEF, the Confederation of Ghanaian Diaspora Associations in Europe; and GIZ Ghana, with key funding support from the European Union brought 20 Ghanaian diaspora experts from France, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain to undertake short-term mission placements in Ghana between March and June 2025.The programme enabled participants most of whom are second- and third-generation Ghanaians to contribute to national development through knowledge-sharing and capacity-building in fields such as digital innovation, fashion, cuisine, agriculture, and entrepreneurship."For an initiative like this that involves working hand in hand with young people, we're all for it," Mr Okyere Darko stated, describing the effort as timely and commendable.He said the programme aligned with the Office's broader goal of encouraging diaspora engagement beyond remittances to include active collaboration, skills transfer, and investment.He added that the Office was looking forward to formalising its relationship with the initiative through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which would allow for broader institutional support and programme sustainability.The Project Manager of Roots to Ghana programme, Ms Millie Antwi, explained that the visit was aimed at seeking strategic partnerships, sponsorship, and technical support to reconduct and expand the initiative in the coming years.She said "This was a first-time project that allowed 20 people from the European diaspora to come to their motherland and exchange their skills.
We stayed between two to four weeks, worked in schools and institutions, and learned just as much as we taught.
Now we want to make this sustainable."She added that the team was currently compiling an impact report featuring testimonies from both the diaspora participants and their host institutions, indicating "The report will be submitted to the Diaspora Affairs Office as a basis for future collaboration.""We are the children of Ghana.
Though we were born and raised in Europe, we still carry our heritage.
