Diasporan affairs is not about ‘detty December’ – Ghana’s costly diaspora blind spot

Ghana’s approach to diaspora engagement is an embarrassing case of misplaced priorities.

While the world’s rising powers ‒ China, India, Turkey, Israel ‒ deployed their overseas talent to build semiconductor empires, AI giants and billion-dollar start-ups, Ghana’s strategy begins and ends with “Detty December”: a carnival of concerts, parties and hashtag-friendly photo ops designed to milk diasporans for tourism dollars.

This isn’t just shortsighted ‒ it’s an insult to the thousands of Ghanaian doctors, engineers and innovators abroad who could transform this nation if given half the opportunity.

Let’s cut the noise: Ghana’s diaspora engagement is a joke. Ghana treats its diaspora like ATMs, not assets.

While our best minds flee to build Silicon Valley start-ups, cure diseases in European hospitals and launch satellites at NASA, our government’s grand plan is to sell them VIP tickets to AfroNation.

Meanwhile, countries with far fewer resources—cough Turkey, cough South Korea ‒ deployed diaspora talent to dominate global industries.

When will we wake up?

Global giants vs. Ghana’s glitter

• China’s billion-dollar brain gain

While Ghana throws parties, China poached top diaspora scientists with $150,000 grants, cutting-edge labs, and presidential red carpets. Result?

Returnees now lead 70 per cent of China’s AI start-ups and propelled its tech exports to 25 per cent of the global market.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s AI sector? Still waiting for that “Year of Return” coding workshop.

• India’s Silicon Valley takeover

India didn’t beg its diaspora for tourism dollars ‒ it handed them stakes in national projects.

Returnees such as Microsoft’s Satya Nadella helped build a $245 billion IT empire, with diaspora-funded start-ups such as Flipkart and Zomato.

Ghana’s tech ecosystem? A graveyard of abandoned hubs and WhatsApp group debates.

• Israel’s diaspora-fuelled defence dominance
Israel lured back U.S.-trained engineers to create the Iron Dome and cybersecurity giants like Check Point.

Diaspora investments now pour $25 billion annually into its tech sector. Ghana’s defence tech?

We’re still importing Israeli drones while our engineers design apps for food delivery.

These nations didn’t just host parties ‒ they built systems to attract and deploy diaspora talent.

Ghana’s brightest minds routinely leave for graduate studies abroad and seldom return.

The World Bank estimates that 50 per cent of Ghanaian professionals with advanced degrees live overseas ‒ a staggering loss for a nation grappling with healthcare shortages, underfunded R&D and a struggling tech ecosystem.

Yet, instead of creating pathways for these experts to contribute, Ghana’s diaspora policy fixates on short-term gains: December tourism, symbolic “Year of Return” events, and feel-good cultural exchanges.

Where are Ghana’s equivalents of China’s Thousand Talents Plan or India’s Software Technology Parks? Where is the aggressive recruitment of Ghanaian engineers at NASA, doctors in the NHS, or Silicon Valley tech leads?

Beyond December: Blueprint

To harness the diaspora’s potential, Ghana must adopt strategies proven globally:

• Reverse migration incentives:

Offer tax breaks, research grants and leadership roles to lure high-skilled professionals.

China’s returnees received up to $150,000—Ghana could tailor similar schemes for health care, agriculture and tech experts.

• Diaspora-led R&D hubs:

Partner universities and firms to create innovation clusters. Turkey’s TÜBİTAK programme repatriated 2,000 academics, boosting R&D spending to 1.1% of GDP.

Ghana’s KNUST and UG could anchor similar hubs in AI, renewable energy, or fintech.

• Digital diaspora networks:

Platforms such as Israel’s Global Jewry Portal connect diaspora investors with startups. Ghana’s Beyond the Return initiative should pivot from cultural events to matchmaking tech talent with local ventures.

• Circular migration programmes:

Promote temporary returns for skills transfer. India’s “Reverse Brain Drain” programme brought back 30,000 IT professionals by 2010.

Ghanaian diaspora doctors could lead training programmes at Korle-Bu, while engineers mentor start-ups in Kumasi.

Prioritise knowledge, not just Kwahu paragliding

Ghana’s diaspora engagement must evolve beyond December’s fleeting euphoria.

While festivals and tourism have their place, they cannot substitute for a coherent economic strategy.

Every year, Ghana loses its future innovators to foreign labs, hospitals and tech firms ‒ only to court them with parties instead of purpose.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diasporan Affairs must urgently refocus.

Let us learn from China, India and Israel: Diasporans are not ATMs for December, but architects of national transformation.

It’s time to replace Detty December with Diaspora-Driven December ‒ a month where returnees sign deals, launch start-ups and train the next generation.

Ghana’s development cannot wait for another festive season.

The talent is out there ‒ let’s bring it home.

The writer is an Assistant Professor at Stonehill College, Boston;
Host, The Assembly Podcast.