Accra, 18 November 2025 (ECA) – The sub-regional offices of North Africa and West Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), in collaboration with the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) of Ghana, organized a two-day regional workshop in Accra on “Remittances, Investment and Diaspora Contribution to Finance the National Development Plan in Ghana.” The workshop aims to discuss Ghana’s progress in mainstreaming remittances as alternative source to support the implementation of the Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework (2026–2029), share experiences, and strengthen strategies aimed at enhancing the developmental impact of remittances and diaspora investment across the continent.
During the opening session, Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah, Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Ghana, has underscored the critical importance of harnessing contributions from Ghana’s diaspora to drive national development and stated: “Diaspora contributions have become increasingly central to Ghana’s development financing and growth strategies”. However, she stressed that the potential of remittances and diaspora contributions to sustainable development remains largely untapped.
Mr. Amadou Diouf, Economic Affairs Officer at the UNECA Subregional Office for West Africa (ECA/SRO-WA), also delivered his remarks, providing insights regarding Ghana’s progress within the UNECA programme “Strengthening the link between migration and development in Africa”: “Since our engagement with Ghana began under this programme, notable progress has been achieved. Technical support was extended throughout 2025 to assess the existing institutional, regulatory, and policy frameworks related to diaspora engagement and investment, and to examine how remittances can be more effectively incorporated into national planning...”
The workshop provides a platform to share the Ghanian’s experience of integrating remittances into the upcoming national plan. It offers the opportunity to present the assessment conducted on Ghana’s regulatory and institutional framework related to remittances and diaspora engagement, as well as the policy matrix of reforms included in the plan to strengthen the contribution of remittances to national development. Furthermore, the workshop allows national stakeholders and representatives from Comoros, Côte D’Ivoire, Egypt, Lesotho, and Tunisia to share experiences in integrating the remittance component into national development plans and strategies. These exchanges are expected to reinforce South–South cooperation and foster a stronger regional understanding of policies, institutional arrangements, and financial innovations needed to channel remittances into productive investments.
The two-days’ workshop convenes officials and specialists from multiple institutions in Ghana, including the NDPC, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the Ministry of Finance, the Diaspora Affairs Bureau at the Office of the President, the Ministry of Interior, and the Bank of Ghana. Participants from the UN system, the private sector, academia, civil society, and commercial banks also contributed to the discussions, reflecting the multisectoral nature of diaspora engagement and the importance of coordinated action to unlock its full potential.
For more information about the event, please contact:
Ms. Samia Mansour Hamouda
Economic Affairs Officer and Programme Manager
Email: samia.hamouda@un.org ;
Mr. Ilias Ennassiri,
Program Assistant
Email: ilias.ennassiri@un.org
Mr. Amadou Diouf
Economic Affairs Officer
Email: diouf19@un.org
Country Focal Point :
Dr. Lily Owusu
Principal planning analyst
National Development Planning Commission
Ghana
Email: lily.owusu@ndpc.gov.gh
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org