Ghanaian entertainment entrepreneur and politician Baba Sadiq has stated that the success of the “Year of Return” initiative in 2019 was mostly due to the efforts of the private sector and not the government.

In an interview with Accra-based TV3, he noted that the concept of "December in Ghana" had always existed and was already being promoted by the private sector.

Sadiq emphasised that the "Year of Return" initiative in 2019 was initially intended to encourage the Black diaspora to visit Ghana during their summer break, marking the 400th anniversary of the return of slaves to Africa.

“The ‘Year of Return’ was essentially mainly branding. Every December, the ‘December in Ghana’ component had always existed.

“In 2019, when they launched the ‘Year of Return’, it was supposed to be almost something like a PANAFEST idea where to mark the 400 years of the return of slaves to Africa. And so you have created this idea to sort of encourage the black diaspora to come back home. Not in December, but around the period when they are usually on break, which is July, August, and September. that's a summer period. That's when they are usually on break. And so the idea was to encourage them to come back to the country. But guess what? That idea didn't quite pick up,” he said.

However, Sadiq believes the idea only gained more traction during the December festivities, which had long been a vibrant period for entertainment in Ghana.

“Then in December of that year, the entertainment companies, which has always existed as much as we know it, including some of the activities that have always existed for as much as we know it, but then they pick it up and they tag it and say, it's the year of return,” he said.

He insisted that the private sector had a role in organising events and activities during December, which contributed to the success of the "Year of Return."

About the Year of Return

The Year of Return initiative, launched by the Ghanaian government in 2019, marked the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans' arrival in Jamestown, Virginia.

It invited the global African diaspora to reconnect with their heritage in Ghana and consider it for investment and development.

The campaign attracted over half a million visitors in 2019, some of whom took citizenship and started businesses.

The initiative was highly successful, earning Ghana US$3.3 billion from tourism-related expenditures.

The government spent GH¢6 million on promoting the campaign, which led to a 27% increase in international arrivals, reaching 1.13 million by the end of 2019.

This influx boosted various sectors, including airlines, hotels, and local businesses.

The average tourist expenditure rose to $2,931, contributing to total tourism receipts of $3.312 billion.

ID/MA

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