Ghana is stepping up efforts to reposition migration and diaspora remittances as a strategic pillar of its long-term development agenda, with a renewed focus on job creation and economic transformation.
Although the country received about US$7.8 billion in remittances in 2025—equivalent to nearly 7 per cent of GDP—authorities say much of this inflow continues to be spent on household consumption rather than investment in productive sectors.
The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), working with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), has developed a new toolkit aimed at integrating migration and diaspora contributions into national and local development planning processes.
The initiative is designed to help government institutions better capture and channel diaspora resources into areas such as infrastructure, enterprise development and job creation.
Speaking through Mr Richard Tweneboah Kodua, Director of Research and Innovation at the NDPC, Director-General Dr Audrey Smock Amoah noted that Ghana’s large diaspora community represents a significant development asset that remains underutilised.
She highlighted that an estimated 1.7 million Ghanaians live abroad across more than 50 countries, contributing not only to household welfare but also to education, healthcare and local economic activity through remittances.
According to her, aligning diaspora contributions with structured development planning could significantly boost sustainable growth and economic transformation.
A capacity-building workshop held as part of the initiative brought together officials from key state institutions, including the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, the Ghana Statistical Service, the Bank of Ghana, and various local government authorities.
Participants were trained on how to incorporate migration data and diaspora inflows into development plans at both national and district levels.
UNECA’s Economic Affairs Officer, Mr Amadou Diop, said Ghana is among six African countries participating in the programme since 2024, alongside Comoros and Tunisia, with a focus on identifying best practices for leveraging diaspora resources to reduce poverty and stimulate growth.
He stressed that turning remittances into development impact would depend on strong institutional commitment and effective policy implementation across sectors.
