The Speaker of Parliament, Alban S. K. Bagbin, has challenged Ewes in the diaspora to transform their strong cultural network into a powerful economic and investment bridge to drive development back home in Ghana.
According to him, the Ewe community abroad must move beyond remittances and cultural celebrations to building sustainable businesses and creating job opportunities for Ghanaians.
“You have shown that culture should not only bring people together to celebrate. Culture can bring people together to develop,” he said.
Speaker Bagbin made the call while serving as the Special Guest of Honour at the 33rd Anniversary celebrations of the Council of Ewe Associations of North America (CEANA) in Washington, DC, USA.
He commended CEANA for sustaining Ewe culture and unity in North America for over three decades, describing the Council as a model of how culture can be harnessed for community development and social cohesion.
He noted that the diaspora community possesses enormous human capital, expertise and financial resources which, if properly channelled, could transform many communities in the Volta Region and Ghana as a whole.
Rt. Hon. Bagbin urged the association to partner with traditional authorities, local businesses and government agencies to identify viable investment opportunities in areas such as agribusiness, education, health and tourism.
He also assured the diaspora community of Parliament’s commitment to enacting laws and policies that create an enabling environment for diaspora investments and protect their interests.
The CEANA convention brought together Ewes from across the United States and Canada to celebrate their heritage and deliberate on development initiatives for their home communities.
