In 2019 Ghana spearheaded the ‘Year of Return’,  an open invitation for Africans in the Diaspora to ‘return home’ to Ghana.

Since then, the tiny West African country has attracted hundreds of thousands of diasporans back to the continent. They’ve returned to visit, invest, and even settle.

The Year of Return was a year-long program of activities marking the 400th anniversary of the first recorded enslaved Africans to the US. Although the Ghana Tourism Authority projected that 500,000 diasporans would visit the country over the year, the number exceeded expectations.

Ghana’s Minister of Tourism, Barbara Oteng Gyasi, said the Year of Return injected about $1.9bn (£1.5bn) into the economy. According to BBC Africa, the Year of Return drew more comprehensive attention to Ghana and positively influenced international media reports.

Beyond the initiative, some celebrities across the globe have continued to use their star power to drive investments, organize festivals, and promote the Motherland.

The Celebrities Putting Ghana on The Global Map

Boris Kodjoe has played an enormous part in this success. Born in Austria to a Ghanaian father and German mother, Kodjoe lives in Los Angeles with his family. Having reconnected back to his roots, he is actively involved in promoting Ghana.

Kodjoe understands the perspective of Africans in the diaspora on finding and reconnecting with their roots. He said on his Facebook timeline, “My love for Ghana is part of my identity. I came here to feel connected to that part of me. I feel whole. My dad’s spirit is with me as I walk the streets he grew up on. This was his home. Now it’s mine.”

Beyond that, Kodjoe has been inviting diasporians into the country. In 2018 and 2019, he organized trips to Ghana for Black Hollywood stars, influencers, and entrepreneurs to reconnect with their ancestry. Among those invited were Anthony Anderson, Naomi Campbell, Idris Elba, Tina Knowles, Nicole Ari Parker, Michael Jai, and many others. Kodjoe was unveiled as Ghana’s Ambassador of Film to commemorate his contributions by the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Madam Catherine Afeku, in 2018.

On the opposite side of the spectrum is Bozoma Saint-John, the Ghanaian-American marketing maverick who helped spearhead Ghana’s Year of Return movement. Alongside Kodjoe, Bozoma visited Ghana and even attended the annual Chale Wote Street Art Festival.

Saint John is spreading the word that Ghana now offers citizenship to anyone in the African diaspora. “(Ghana’s President) Nana Akufo-Addo and I agree that you belong here if you are of African descent. You don’t have to prove anything; your skin tells enough.”

Diasporans Visit, Invest, And Even Settle

President Akufo-Addo applauded Boris Kodjoe and Bozoma Saint John in 2018. He stated that the influence of both celebrities has driven a fresh narrative about the country. The narrative says, “Ghana is a land of opportunity, visit, invest (and) make it your home. We deeply appreciate their contribution and that of many others to the entire project’s success (Year of Return).”

Chance the Rapper, real name Chancelor Johnathan Bennett, is another celebrity using his star power to shine the limelight on Ghana. The American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer visited Ghana to meet Vic Mensa on January 5, 2021.

“My love for Ghana is part of my identity. I came here to feel connected to that part of me. I feel whole. My dad’s spirit is with me as I walk the streets he grew up on. This was his home. Now it’s mine.”

He claims his name is ‘Nana Kofi Boa-Ampensom’ because he identifies as a Ghanaian. While in the country, he met Ghanaian artists, including Sarkodie, King Promise, Darkovibes, and M.anifest.

He also visited the Jubilee House with Vic Mensa, where they met Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo. He revealed on Twitter that he hoped to return to Ghana in July 2022. These inspired the Grammy Award winner to partner with Vic Mensa to bring the Marcus Garvey-inspired Black Star Line Festival to Ghana on January 6, 2023.

Dometi Pongo has organized annual group trips to Ghana since 2016. The MTV News correspondent is a media veteran and innovative storyteller whose work lives at the intersection of pop culture and social justice.

Boom in Group Trips To Ghana

The first-generation Ghanaian-American hosts annual group tours of Ghana. This allows American travelers from the African diaspora to explore their ancestral lineage. Pongo Strategy Group and Sankofa Ventures lead the program.

The award-winning journalist led 20 African Americans to Ghana in 2018, and it was a life-changing experience for each of them. This work earned Pongo the “Ambassador Award” from the Chicago Chapter of the Nigerian American Professionals Association and the “Catalyst of Hope Award” from the VLA World Scholars Program.

Koshie Mills is a strong proponent of reconnecting Africans on the continent with their global descendants in the diaspora. The American media executive was born in Ghana, raised in the United Kingdom, and lives in the United States.

Despite spending most of her life away from Ghana, Mills remains deeply connected to the country. She created a television show version, which aired in the fall of 2018 on The Africa Channel.

The massive response to the show and her phenomenal transformational live events quickly earned her the role of expert advisor and Queen of all things Diaspora. Mills’ organic way of pulling everyone together resonates as her following gave her the nickname  “MAMA KOSHIE”.

In 2021, Mama Koshie redefined the name of “The Diaspora Dialogues” platform and brand to HEIRS OF AFRIKA. The company aims to dispel the myth of a singular Black experience through authentic storytelling. They also use multicultural, inclusive conversations for healing and reconciliation between Africa and its descendants worldwide.

In 2018, she and her sons – Kofi Siriboe (Girls Trip, Queen Sugar), Kwame Boateng (Everybody Hates Chris, The Plug) and Kwesi Boakye (Claws, Colon) – were chosen to be ambassadors of Ghanaian Film, Arts and Culture.

Main image: Bozoma Saint John 

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