Amidst the ongoing global crises, African countries are urged to transform billions of dollars from Diaspora into social and national economic development, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) said in a statement.
The appeal was made at a high-level solutions session in Doha, Qatar where African ministers and international experts outlined ambitious strategies to transform the billions of dollars sent to Africa as remittances into a catalyst for national progress.
The session themed “Unlocking the Potential of Remittances and Diaspora Contributions for Social Development in Africa,” was convened by the Governments of Ghana and Tunisia in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
In her opening remarks, Hanan Morsy, Deputy Executive Secretary of the ECA, said that African countries need to integrate remittance flows into their national development plans to reduce poverty , create jobs and enhance social development.
Noting that 324 million international migrants worldwide contribute close to 10 percent of global GDP, Morsy said despite multiple crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and global economic instability, remittances have remained resilient.
The session showcased a continent on the move, actively crafting policies to harness this Diaspora capital.
Ghana’s Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, revealed that remittances, which reached $4.7 billion in 2023 and now surpass official development aid to the country.
“We are channeling these funds to support education, youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, and community infrastructure,” Lartey said. Examples include education bonds for STEM laboratories and digital skills labs, turning Diaspora generosity into tangible community assets.
The urgency is even greater in Comoros, where remittances make up a staggering 20 percent of GDP, Dhoihirdine Ahmanda Bacar, a representative from Comoros said.
The interactive discussion delved into solutions, with participants from Cameroon, Tunisia, and Bangladesh stressing the need for capacity building so that receiving households can invest funds productively. The challenge of “brain drain” was met with proposals for “brain circulation,” where Diaspora experts return temporarily to transfer skills.
MG/as/APA