Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has said Ghana must move beyond aid and dependency by building a self-sustaining economy.

He said there was, therefore, the need to harness all the potentials of Ghana’s resources for her development, including human expertise.

Dr Bawumia also made a strong case for the restoration of the severed link between Africans, including Ghanaians, in the diaspora as it will play a key role in the development of the nation.

The Vice President was speaking at the African Diaspora Homecoming Conference, an event put together by the Heritage and Cultural Society in Africa to foster mutual relationship between Africa and the Western community.

“No matter what we do out there in the diaspora, we are always going to be seen against the backdrop of Africa. Economic development is very key in eliminating [these] stereotypes and, therefore, we need to become independent truly and self-dependent as a continent. And in that situation, people of African descent no matter where you are in Jamaica, America, or the UK, you will be more respected if Africa is independent and self-dependent,” he stated.

“We also have to understand that the way we are looked at both in the diaspora and on the continent is much linked and the underlying link is the economic development of Africa and we have to make sure we combine our resources, our energies, to ensure that Africa becomes developed economically and self- dependent. We want to move beyond aid and dependency and we have to move beyond aid and dependency.”