Reversing the exodus: How the African diaspora is returning to its roots
The Atlantic slave trade was one of the most brutal and devastating episodes in human history, leaving behind a legacy of pain, loss, and trauma for millions of Africans and their descendants.
An estimated 12 million Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic to serve as slaves in the Americas between the 16th and 19th centuries. African cultures, economies, and institutions were severely disrupted, and this had a long-lasting detrimental effect on the development of the continent.
According to a 2017 study published by the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), by 1800, the slave trade had reduced Africa's population by half from what it would have been.
Despite the atrocities of the past, many Africans with roots outside of the continent still have a strong sense of belonging and a desire to help the continent progress. A rising trend in recent years has been the permanent or temporary return of members of the African diaspora to Africa for a variety of reasons.
For many, the Year of Return initiative launched by Ghana in 2019 was their first time setting foot on ancestral land that had been taken from them through years of exploitation and persecution. Others experienced it as a trip back to a place they had always felt a connection to but had never visited in its entirety. It offered them a chance to mend old wounds, restore their identity and dignity, and honour their rich and varied ancestry.
Ghana extended an invitation to people from the African diaspora to come to the nation and mark the 400th anniversary of the first Africans brought into slavery in the US. The initiative, which was officially announced by Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo in September 2018 in Washington, D.C, was a big success.
The Ghana Tourism Authority estimated that the Year of Return would bring in 500,000 more tourists at the beginning of 2019. The World Tourism Organization reports that between January and September 2019, there were an additional 237,000 tourists, up 45% over the same time the previous year, with notable increases in US and UK visits. In 2019, the Ghanaian government also granted citizenship to 126 members of the diaspora.
Ghana served as the source of inspiration for the Year of Return, which drew several famous people in 2019, including model Naomi Campbell, actor Idris Elba, comedian Steve Harvey, and American rapper Cardi B into the country.
Similar programmes, such as Nigeria's Door of Return and Uganda's Home is Best Summit, were inspired by the Year of Return. Additionally, it motivated countless individuals all over the world to discover more about their African ancestry.
The African diaspora is not only a cultural asset, but also an economic one. According to the World Bank, the African diaspora sent over $48 billion in remittances to Sub-Saharan Africa in 2019.
The diaspora also has substantial financial resources and expertise that may be applied to a variety of industries, including real estate, infrastructure, and small and medium-sized businesses. According to the African Development Bank, $50 billion in savings held by the African diaspora might be used to finance investments in Africa. Additionally, the diaspora can help ease trade, innovation, and technology transfer between Africa and the rest of the world by utilizing its networks, expertise, and experience.
While there are numerous benefits to the return of the African diaspora, there may be some difficulties and drawbacks for the locals as well as the returning migrants themselves. The effect of diaspora migration on the cost of living is one of the key problems, particularly in urban regions where most of the returnees dwell. Prices and rent have risen, making them unaffordable for many locals due to increasing demand for housing, commodities, and services as well as the diaspora's greater purchasing power.
For instance, according to a local property website Ghana Property Centre, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Ghana's capital Accra where the Year of Return project drew thousands of tourists was 2,850 Ghana cedis ($250) per month in 2020, more than four times the monthly minimum wage which was equal to 11.82 in 2020 ($2). As a result, the minimum pay each month was about $40 (based on a calendar month of 20 working days).
Many people from the diaspora who return to Africa do so out of a sense of identification and belonging to rekindle their ties to their roots and culture.
The social, political, and economic realities of their homelands, however, may prove difficult for them to adapt to. Some of the obstacles include bureaucracy, corruption, or insecurity.
