Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has reaffirmed the Government of Ghana’s commitment to strengthening diaspora-friendly policies and expanding clear pathways for return, investment and collaboration, she said at the closing ceremony of the Diaspora Summit 2025.
She said the summit comes at a pivotal moment in Ghana’s national and continental direction, as the country places history, justice and responsibility at the centre of its engagements with Africa and the global African community.
The Vice President said President John Dramani Mahama’s role as the African Union Champion for Reparations goes beyond symbolism and reflects a deliberate political commitment to advancing the dignity, memory and material claims of Africans and people of African descent worldwide. She added that Ghana intends to make a serious home for that work.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang said the two-day summit provided an important platform for reflection on shared histories and for the exchange of ideas about the future, clarifying and strengthening the partnership between Ghana and her diaspora.
According to her, the conversations confirmed that reparations are not abstract moral questions but political, economic and historical issues that require structure, persistence and credible leadership.
She expressed appreciation to members of the diaspora for their sustained contributions to Ghana’s development through remittances, skills transfer, investment, advocacy and cultural preservation, stressing that their role in national development is continuous and significant.
The Vice President reiterated that the recognition of the diaspora as Ghana’s 17th region is more than a slogan it is a recognition of their place in the country’s national life and emphasised that Reset Agenda success depends on strong partnerships with Ghanaians abroad.
She outlined government initiatives designed to create real entry points for diaspora participation, including the Adwumawura Programme, Nkoko Nkitinkiti, Feed Ghana and the 24-Hour Economy Policy.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang noted that under the Reset Agenda, the government is rebuilding the foundations for economic stability and growth, pointing to reduced inflation, a stabilising cedi, strengthened reserves and renewed confidence.
“These are not end points; they are the baseline conditions needed for serious engagement by investors, innovators and partners both at home and abroad,” she said.
Drawing on her academic work on the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the Vice President stressed that meaningful engagement with historical legacies requires more than remembrance, calling for honest, accountable and sustained action.
She concluded that the Diaspora Summit 2025 did not only revisit the past but clarified the work that remains in deepening cooperation between Ghana and its global diaspora.