Yofi Grant, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, has urged Ghanaians in the diaspora to take advantage of the country’s numerous investment prospects to facilitate development.

He said the country had an array of investment opportunities that were underutilized or untapped, which required huge capital and human investments.

He further noted that the country’s robust economy, political stability over years and youthfulness of its population coupled with its vast natural resources should make it the first investment destination in Africa for investors, especially Ghanaians in the diaspora.

Mr Grant made the call at an investment forum held in Accra on Thursday.

The forum, organised by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) was to woo investors, particularly Ghanaians living in the diaspora to partake in the development agenda.

It was held on the theme “Positioning Ghana as an Investment Hub – Opportunities for the Diaspora”.

Mr Grant said, “Ghana is the second largest economy in West Africa as at 2018 and the International Monetary Fund projects Ghana to be the fastest growing economy in 2019”.

“About 60 per cent of the country’s population is below 35 years. This means that there is a huge ready market waiting for any investor”.

“Areas such as agriculture, oil and gas, railway and roads, industrial parks and the retailing industry among others have array of opportunities waiting for investment and to be explored,” he added.

Mr Grant said the country over the years had engaged people in the diaspora in delivering its development agenda, adding that the government regards investment from Ghanaians in the diaspora to be imperative to the achievement of development agenda.

“People keep saying that the diasporas have been left out of the Ghana agenda which is far from true because they have been very engaged in this economy and today we've seen private business people who all came from the diaspora and are very successful people.

“It's a continuous engagement because at the end of the day Ghana is our home and there is nothing that will please us all than to see the country build capacity from its own,” he said.

Nana Osei-Bonsu, the CEO of the Private Enterprise Federation, who was a panelist on the forum, said enhancing the technical capabilities of the country’s human resource was imperative for the realisation of the development agenda.

He, therefore, urged government to invest more in the country’s technical and vocational institutions that would ensure that products from such institutions were properly certified and met the world’s requirement.

Mr Osei-Bonsu also encouraged investors and potential investors from the diaspora to ensure that they run their businesses with the professionalism it required in order to attain the maximum returns and enhance development.

“We always want things to be given to us on a silver platter but this is impossible because the system has not been structured in such a manner,” he cautioned.

Mr Clifford Mpare, the CEO of Frontline Capital Advisors, on his part, said it would be very prudent if government engaged people in the diaspora more to fast track the development agenda.