BANK OF GHANA GOVERNOR CHALLENGES EWES IN DIASPORA TO MOVE “FROM SENDING HOME TO BUILDING HOME” AT 33RD CEANA CONVENTION IN USA
The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson P. Asiama, has called on Ghanaians abroad to transform the purpose of remittances from family support to nation building, at the 33rd Council of Ewe Associations of North America (CEANA) Convention held at the Bethesda North Marriott.
Clad in a black and white Ewe smock, Dr. Asiama, who was the Guest of Honour at the Saturday night banquet, delivered a culturally rooted and economically charged address that electrified the hall.
The convention, held over the Labor Day weekend under the theme “Preserving Culture, Inspiring Generations,” brought together over ten Members of Parliament, Ambassador Victor Smith, Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, and traditional leaders from Ghana, Togo and Benin.
Opening his speech, Dr. Asiama said there was something in the CEANA hall that no statistic could capture.
“Generations have gathered, familiar language and music and shared inheritance… Some left decades ago, others know Ghana through parents, food or stories, but we all remain part of that one national family,” he told the packed ballroom.
He said culture survives when it is lived and handed on, praising CEANA for keeping Ewe heritage alive since its founding in Washington D.C. in 1993.
The Governor then provided a data-driven briefing on Ghana’s economy, which he said was at the heart of the diaspora’s confidence to invest.
According to him, inflation which peaked at 54.1% in December 2022 had fallen to 5.0% in August 2026, Q1 GDP growth was 6.4%, international reserves had risen above $12 billion covering about five months of imports, and the Bank’s policy rate had been reduced from 28% to 14%.
“Stability is not the destination; it is the foundation,” he said, noting that losses recorded under the Gold Programme and the Domestic Debt Exchange were strategic interventions to save the economy.
The core of his message was a new Bank of Ghana initiative dubbed “Remit to Invest.”
“Remit to Invest is the Bank of Ghana initiative that brings Ghanaians abroad and regulated financial institutions together to explore how those who choose to do so can move from remitting only for immediate needs towards savings, towards retirement, towards enterprise and towards investment,” Dr. Asiama said.
He clarified that it is not a single product managed by the central bank, but a framework to create “trusted pathways and appropriate safeguards.”
He announced that the Bank has set up a dedicated Diaspora Engagement and Remittance Facilitation Office to coordinate this effort and has enforced mandatory registration of International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) to ensure transparent pricing. About 80 applications have been received and 40 approved.
Private remittances hit approximately US$7.8 billion in 2025, making diaspora capital critical for Ghana’s next phase of growth.
Dr. Asiama stressed that diaspora contribution cannot be reduced to money alone.
“There is also capital that does not appear on the Bank of Ghana’s balance sheets. We talk about knowledge, we talk about skills, we talk about networks, and we talked about experience,” he said.
He cited CEANA medical professionals who have pledged support for the new Bank Hospital Foundation, which will fund emergency care for patients who cannot afford it, as a model for other professions.
“That model can extend across professions. Engineers mentoring engineers back home, technology professionals supporting digital skills, academics partnering with universities and financial professionals helping entrepreneurs,” he added.
He concluded by aligning with Speaker Bagbin’s challenge to CEANA to move “beyond the micro to the macro” and dream of a mega lasting legacy project, urging every Ghanaian abroad to contribute in a way that fits their circumstance, expertise and interest.
The speech formed part of CEANA’s broader call for bigger diaspora investments as Ewe heritage took centre stage.
