The Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, has called on Ghanaians living abroad to channel their collective resources into agriculture and value addition to help transform the country’s agricultural sector.
Speaking at the formal launch of the Region 17 Initiative in Washington, D.C., Mr. Dumelo said the time had come for the Ghanaian diaspora to move beyond remittances and make strategic investments that would boost food production, agro-processing, and job creation.
The launch was attended by Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Victor Smith, as well as the private organisers of the Region 17 Initiative and members of the Ghanaian community in the United States.
Mr. Dumelo noted that Ghanaians abroad remit billions of dollars to the country every year, describing the diaspora as a critical partner in Ghana’s development agenda.
He urged the diaspora to pool their resources and invest in agriculture and value addition, arguing that such investments would strengthen food security, promote industrialisation, and create sustainable employment opportunities.
“My message was simple: the support of Ghanaians abroad to collectively pool resources and channel them into agriculture and value addition is long overdue. It is not impossible. Let’s make agriculture great,” he said.
The Region 17 Initiative is expected to foster stronger collaboration between Ghana and its diaspora by encouraging investment and participation in national development, with a particular focus on the agricultural sector.
