The maiden Diaspora Summit was held in Accra and it brought together Africans and people of African descent from across the world in a renewed push to reconnect the global diaspora with the continent and harness that development bond.
Opening the two-day summit, President John Dramani Mahama said the moment had come for Africa and its diaspora to unite, reclaim their shared history and press for reparations for the injustices of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, colonialism and the looting of Africa’s cultural artefacts.
According to the President, a unified African diaspora has the power to overturn centuries-old colonial narratives and reclaim ownership of Africa’s story and destiny.
“With the unification of the African diaspora against long-standing colonial mindsets, nothing can stop us from achieving the goal of reclamation,” Mr Mahama said.
He urged Africans around the world to challenge and reverse narratives imposed during the era of oppression, calling for a conscious effort to reshape global perceptions of Africa.
“We must flip the vile narrative of those who oppressed us. In fact, let us take their entire modus operandi, flip it and reverse it,” he said.
President Mahama said Ghana’s decision to deliberately incorporate the diaspora into its national narrative was rooted in the belief that division weakens Africa’s sense of belonging and shared purpose.
“The reason I believe it is important for us to consciously carry the story of the diaspora as an integral part of Ghana’s narrative is that what divides us ultimately denies our ability to feel at home,” he noted.
The President also condemned the artificial borders imposed on Africa during the colonial era, arguing that they fragmented ethnic and cultural communities and forced them to live under different colonial systems with lasting consequences.
“Let me reiterate that the future belongs to Africans. We hold the power to change the circumstances of our past. We must be more intentional about our unity than those who oppressed us were about our division,” he stressed.
The summit is being held under the theme, “Resetting Ghana: The Diaspora as the 17th Region,” reflecting Ghana’s long-standing policy of positioning the African diaspora as an integral extension of the nation.
Addressing the gathering, President of the Council of Ministers of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé, said Africa’s aspirations for financial, cultural and digital sovereignty could not be achieved without fully mobilising the diaspora.
He called on Africans to take control of the continent’s narrative, rewrite history from an African perspective and educate future generations about Africa’s long tradition of resilience, resistance and rebirth.
African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, speaking on behalf of the AU, praised the Government of Ghana for convening the summit at what he described as a historic moment for Africa and its global diaspora.
Mr Chambas said the Accra Diaspora Summit represents a critical building block in a broader continental and global process aimed at addressing historical injustices and fostering long-term transformation.
He noted that the summit’s focus on historical truth, healing, economic justice, youth, innovation and the digital economy aligns with the African Union’s vision of reparations that are transformative rather than merely transactional.
The summit is expected to conclude with discussions on practical pathways for deeper diaspora engagement in Ghana’s development agenda and Africa’s broader quest for unity, justice and sustainable growth.
