Over the past one or two decades, there have been many Africans that have left the continent to pursue greener pastures elsewhere. Some have left for good, while many continue to be engaged in the continent in various ways. The question has been on how to embrace this diaspora so that they can contribute meaningfully to Africa's development.
The African diaspora send in remittances that are used by their families back home for survival. However, the remittances go mostly to domestic consumption, rather than productive endeavors. Therefore, we must do more so that we can channel these remittances to productive endeavors. Equally important, according to the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), the cost of remittance to Africa is significantly high. The amounts that could have been saved from the remittances could have been used for development projects.
Equally important, we could encourage skills transfer to the home countries. The African diaspora have been exposed to how advanced economies work, and they have been inculcated with skills to know how the
developed economies work. These skills can certainly be put to good use back home, ensuring that the African diaspora contribute meaningfully to the development of their home countries. It would be important that African governments avail important investment schemes so that the investments can be formalized. Stories abound of relatives that squandered the money sent to them from abroad. It would be important to realize that the African diaspora are not sell outs or unpatriotic. They are just looking for a means to better their livelihoods, and in the process, they can also contribute meaningfully to good governance in the continent.
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