President John Dramani Mahama has pledged to sign a bipartisan bill into law the same day it lands on his desk.
This bill would allow Ghanaians living abroad to stand for Parliament or serve as government ministers without renouncing their foreign citizenship or residency.
The President made the commitment on Thursday during a dialogue with the Ghanaian community in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, telling the gathering that the constitutional clause currently excluding diaspora members from holding public office was on its way out.
“That bill is going to pass. And once that bill passes, I want to guarantee you, the same day it is brought to my table, I shall give assent,”he said
The bill, which has the support of both sides of Parliament, would amend the provision in Ghana’s Constitution that bars citizens with dual nationality or foreign residency from seeking elected or appointed office.
For years, members of the diaspora have pointed to that clause as a wall between their loyalty to Ghana and their legal lives abroad.
President Mahama framed the move as consistent with a broader push to deepen diaspora participation in national affairs, telling the audience Ghana now considers them its “17th region”, a symbolic addition to the country’s 16 administrative regions.
The political shift comes as Ghana’s economic dependence on its diaspora becomes harder to ignore. Mahama told the Philadelphia gathering that remittances from Ghanaians abroad hit a record $7.8 billion in 2024, ranking second only to gold, which brought in approximately $11 billion, in the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
“Beyond remittances, you bring something even more valuable knowledge, exposure, innovation and a global perspective,”he added.
On the domestic economy, president Manama pointed to the Ghana Gold Board as early evidence that structural reforms were delivering results.
He said artisanal and small-scale gold exports rose from 63 tons to 104 tons after the Board was established, making Ghana the largest gold exporter on the African continent.
Crucially, all foreign exchange from the 104 tons was repatriated through the Bank of Ghana, a stark contrast to the previous arrangement where the equivalent of 23 tons worth of earnings left the country in the hands of foreign traders.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
