The UNDP Resident Representative in Ghana, Niloy Banerjee, has called for the establishment of structured solidarity funds to channel contributions from the Ghanaian diaspora toward national development efforts.

Speaking to GhanaWeb Business on June 17, 2025, Banerjee emphasised the untapped potential of diaspora remittances, noting that although Ghanaians abroad send financial support back home, most of it remains informal and limited to family-to-family transfers.

“So one thing I learned in my career in the military is that you need, we need a foundation of some sort, which is the Ghanaian diaspora funding. The Ghanaians living overseas contribute $4. And this foundation then channels money," he said.

He argued that by creating dedicated solidarity funds similar to the existing national fund which would be targeted at specific sectors, Ghana could begin to institutionalise diaspora contributions in a way that enhances development impact.

“Diaspora funding in and of itself isn’t much talked about because it doesn’t happen in institutional channels,” he explained.

He added that, “We need to capitalise on the existing solidarity fund and perhaps set up a few more for dedicated areas like education, healthcare, or local infrastructure and invite diaspora support into those mechanisms.”

He further called on African nations to better integrate diaspora remittances into their national financing strategies especially as many countries seek sustainable sources of funding to meet their development goals.

SP/MA

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