Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has called on Ghanaians living abroad to deepen their engagement with their homeland and play a more active role in transforming the country’s economy through investment and innovation. The Vice President appealed for an exclusive engagement with members of the Ghanaian diaspora at the residence of Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Emmanuel Smith, on Thursday, July 23, 2026. The event, held under the theme “Ghanaians Meet the Vice President,” brought together members of the Ghanaian community in the United States for an open discussion on Ghana’s development agenda, the role of the diaspora, economic opportunities, and the shared responsibility of all Ghanaians to build a better nation.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang thanked Ghanaians abroad for their continued support and for promoting Ghana’s image around the world. She acknowledged the sacrifices many make while living overseas, stressing that life abroad should not be seen as easy. “They have not chosen to live away from home, and don’t think that where they live now is a perpetual vacation site.
It’s a lot of sacrifice on their part too.” She urged Ghanaians at home to appreciate the contributions of relatives and friends living abroad. “So whatever they give us, we must appreciate and take good care of it.” “We appreciate you, Ghanaians who live abroad, as one of the biggest drivers of our economy,” she added. A key focus of the Vice President’s address was the need for Ghana to move beyond exporting raw materials and instead invest in value addition and industrialisation.
She encouraged Ghanaians in the diaspora to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the country by investing in businesses that process Ghana’s natural resources. “We are putting a halt to this whole strategy of exporting raw materials. We must add value.” Using cocoa as an example, Professor Opoku-Agyemang said value addition does not always require large factories.
She encouraged individuals and groups to explore smaller-scale processing and manufacturing opportunities, adding that guaranteed markets for locally processed products could encourage more investment. “So that whether it’s big or small, we must support everyone.” She also challenged the Ghanaian diaspora to consider collective investment models.
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