Keypoints:
- Mahama backs constitutional reforms to allow dual citizens to become MPs and ministers
- Ato Forson says Ghana has recovered from the economic crisis inherited in 2025
- Diaspora members demand greater political inclusion, accountability and investment opportunities
PRESIDENT John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to amend Ghana’s Constitution to allow dual citizens living abroad to serve as members of parliament and ministers, telling a town hall meeting in north London that overseas Ghanaians deserve a greater role in shaping the country’s future.
The proposal was one of several major announcements made during a diaspora town hall in Wood Green on May 31, where Mahama, Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson and other senior government officials sought to reassure overseas Ghanaians that Ghana’s economy had stabilised, investor confidence was returning and the diaspora would play a larger role in national development. The reforms form part of a broader constitutional review process currently being prepared for parliamentary consideration.
The event, held on the eve of the Ghana-UK Investment Summit scheduled for June 1, brought together members of the Ghanaian community in the United Kingdom, government officials and business leaders. Mahama returned to office following the December 2024 elections and has made economic recovery, constitutional reform and the proposed 24-hour economy programme central pillars of his administration.
Diaspora reforms proposed
Mahama described overseas Ghanaians as Ghana’s ’17th region’, arguing that their contribution to the country’s development justifies a stronger voice in governance.
‘We have 16 physical regions in Ghana, but we have one virtual region which is our diaspora abroad,’ he said.
‘Your remittances have reached the highest ever above $7bn — $7.8bn actually last year. I dare say that probably that is much larger than many regions are contributing to the GDP in Ghana.’
The president said the constitutional review process would seek to remove restrictions preventing many dual citizens from participating fully in public life.
‘We currently have legislation before Parliament to review the 1992 Constitution to allow Ghanaians in the diaspora who hold other passports or dual passports to be able to participate in our politics at parliamentary and ministerial level,’ Mahama said.
Economy ‘back on track’
Earlier, Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson told the gathering that Ghana had emerged from one of the most severe economic crises in its modern history.
‘President Mahama inherited a terrible economy, an economy in difficult times,’ Forson said.
‘Ghana went through a very difficult economic crisis in a lifetime. I do not recall that our country had ever gone through such level of economic crisis. The scale of the crisis was profound.’
The minister cited currency instability, high inflation, loss of investor confidence and Ghana’s exclusion from international capital markets as some of the challenges facing the country when the administration assumed office.
He said recent indicators showed significant improvement.
‘The good news is that today our country is back. We are back,’ Forson declared.
Forson said Ghana recorded six percent GDP growth in 2025 and 7.6 percent non-oil GDP growth, while inflation, debt sustainability indicators and borrowing costs had improved substantially.
‘All of this points to one important thing. These results affirm that fiscal prudence and discipline always deliver results,’ he said.
The finance minister ended with a direct appeal to overseas Ghanaians.
‘Ghana is open for business. We welcome you. Come home and contribute.’
Mahama touts recovery and industrialisation
Mahama argued that difficult economic decisions taken during the first months of his administration had restored confidence and stabilised key indicators.
‘The sacrifices that Ghanaians made have paid off and Ghana is back again. Ghana is working again,’ he said.
He claimed Ghana’s recovery had attracted international attention.
‘Ghana has become the poster boy for economic recovery across the world. Anytime they go for the spring meetings of the World Bank and the IMF, everybody is pointing to Ghana and saying, ‘Go to Ghana and learn how they did it,’ Mahama said.
The president also highlighted plans to increase local value addition in strategic sectors.
‘We are about to start to refine our own crude,’ Mahama announced, revealing that Ghanaian crude oil would soon be processed domestically through the Tema Oil Refinery rather than exported entirely in raw form.
He disclosed that agreements had been signed for approximately $2bn in new investment in the Jubilee oil fields and a further $1.5bn investment in the OCTP field operated by ENI, aimed at increasing oil and gas production while strengthening Ghana’s energy security.
Mahama also said the government had rebuilt a $500m World Bank guarantee supporting gas supplies and had significantly reduced debts owed to independent power producers, helping to stabilise the energy sector.
He added that similar value-addition efforts were under way in the cocoa sector, where the government wants to increase local processing and export more finished products across Africa under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The president said the reforms complemented broader efforts to overhaul Ghana’s extractive industries through measures designed to improve transparency, increase local participation and strengthen state revenues from natural resources. Recent changes have included new mining sector reforms aimed at reshaping the country’s resource governance framework.
Accountability drive gathers pace
Governance and accountability featured prominently in Mahama’s remarks.
The president disclosed that approximately 36 investigations were active and said public officials who abused their offices would face consequences regardless of political affiliation.
‘We’re not interested in witch-hunting anybody. We’re interested in accountability,’ Mahama said.
He also outlined plans to use blockchain technology, artificial intelligence and specialised audit courts to strengthen financial oversight.
‘Friends to all, enemies to none’
Touching on foreign policy, Mahama said Ghana would continue pursuing constructive relations with countries across competing geopolitical blocs.
‘We are friends to all, enemies to none,’ he said, listing partners including the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Iran and Israel.
The president said Ghana’s priority was promoting peace and international cooperation at a time of growing global instability.
Diaspora presses for greater inclusion
The question-and-answer session reflected growing demands among overseas Ghanaians for a stronger role in national development.
A representative of the East London branch of the ruling NDC noted that the diaspora contributes almost $8bn annually to Ghana’s economy and questioned why overseas citizens still felt excluded from key decision-making despite being recognised as the country’s ’17th region’. He also asked how proposals linked to the government’s 24-hour economy initiative could be submitted directly to policymakers after previous submissions appeared to disappear within official channels.
Responding, Mahama said constitutional reforms were specifically intended to remove barriers that had prevented many overseas Ghanaians from participating fully in national life.
‘Being the 17th region, you must be free to be able to come home and participate,’ he said, adding that several members of his administration had previously been active members of diaspora organisations in the UK.
Another participant called for all public institutions to publish annual audited accounts to strengthen transparency and accountability and avoid recurring controversies over public finances.
Mahama responded by revealing that some state-owned enterprises had failed to submit audited accounts for as long as seven years before his administration intensified oversight.
‘We’ve made it part of their key performance indicators,’ he said.
‘If you have not presented your audited accounts, you haven’t presented your annual reports, the road is your face, you go home.’
He added that several state-owned enterprises had already moved from loss-making to profit-making positions following reforms and stricter accountability measures.
A further question focused on creating a national database that would connect skilled diaspora professionals with opportunities in Ghana and help transform ‘brain drain’ into ‘brain gain’.
Mahama acknowledged the concern but cautioned against rushed relocation decisions.
‘There’s brain drain and there’s brain gain,’ he said. ‘Take your time, look for what you want to do when you get back. You can even start it and make sure that it is grounded before you relocate.’
The president argued that migration was a natural part of human history and that Ghana should focus on ensuring that citizens abroad remained connected to national development regardless of where they lived.
Questions were also raised about arrangements for Ghanaians abroad hoping to attend the Black Stars’ matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mahama said the government would not fund travel and accommodation because of the high cost involved, estimating that supporting a single fan could cost around $11,000.
‘If you want to attend the game, you will get a ticket to attend the game,’ he said, adding that Ghanaian communities in Canada, Boston and Philadelphia were already being organised to support the national team.
The London town hall formed part of Mahama’s wider UK programme in the United Kingdom. The visit also includes meetings with British officials, discussions with investors, an engagement at Chatham House and other high-level events aimed at attracting new capital and deepening economic ties between Ghana and the United Kingdom.
The government is also seeking to reassure investors that Ghana can maintain fiscal discipline and macroeconomic stability following its exit from the IMF-supported programme in May, as it looks to consolidate recent economic gains and strengthen investor confidence.
