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The Government of Zimbabwe, in collaboration with the Government of Ghana and in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has successfully concluded a visit to Ghana to enhance the capacity of key officials working on diaspora engagement.
This initiative was realised within the framework of the projects on “Southern African Migration Management (SAMM)” and “Streamlining Diaspora Engagement to Catalyze Private Investments and Entrepreneurship for Enhanced Resilience (SDE4R)” funded by the European Union (EU) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) respectively. The study visit which took place from 24 to 29 June 2024, also supports the Zimbabwean government’s efforts to review and enhance the implementation of its National Diaspora Policy (2016), aiming to harness the contributions of the diaspora towards the country’s socio-economic development and attainment of its upper middle-income status by 2030.
The delegation engaged in a series of high-level meetings with their Ghanaian counterparts and included officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the President and Cabinet, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation Science and Technology Development, the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA), the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), as well as the Ambassador of Zimbabwe to Ghana.
During the five-day visit, the delegation had the opportunity to engage in high-level technical discussions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, where they met with Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Honourable Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey; the Diaspora Affairs Office of the Office of the President, where they exchanged views with Director Akwasi Awua Ababio and his team; as well as the Financial Sector Division of the Ministry of Finance. The delegation also attended a knowledge and capacity-building session at the Centre for Migration Studies (CMS) at the University of Ghana and visited the Ghana Beyond the Return Secretariat at the Ghana Tourism Authority and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) to learn about diaspora engagement initiatives, investment opportunities, and business support for diaspora entrepreneurs. Meetings with the remittances company ZeePay and the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations provided insights into remittance services and employment policies. Additionally, the delegation visited a successful diaspora project, engaged with the Ghanaian diaspora community, and met with a well-established hometown association to discuss community-level engagement.
Throughout the week, the Ghanaian and Zimbabwean counterparts also discussed the Diaspora Engagement Policy, the development of the Inter-Sectoral Implementation Committee (ISIC), and various programs targeting the youth, such as the Diaspora National Service Scheme and internship programs. The delegation also explored Ghana’s innovative approaches to diaspora remittances, the historic Year of Return initiative, and the expansion of the Ghana Card by the National Identification Authority (NIA).
The visit highlighted how Ghana has effectively harnessed the potential of its diaspora for national development, offering valuable insights that will inform the review and enhancement of Zimbabwe’s National Diaspora Policy. This benchmarking visit underscores the importance of South-South cooperation, learning from successful models to foster stronger ties and more robust engagement with the diaspora.
Mrs. Sienzeni Mateta, Director for the Diaspora and Bilateral Trade Unit as well as the head of the delegation, expressed profound appreciation to the Government of Ghana, IOM Ghana, and IOM Zimbabwe for their coordination and support in making this benchmarking visit a success. “This initiative exemplifies the Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society Approach, demonstrating the power of collaborative efforts in achieving national development goals,” she said.