By Lawrence Odoom/Phalonzy
Capping a high-level diplomatic engagement in Spain, Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang on Saturday galvanized the Ghanaian diaspora in a rousing town hall meeting, reaffirming the Mahama administration’s commitment to economic transformation, social equity, and robust diaspora relations.
The Vice President, who was in Spain for the 4th High-Level Meeting of the Initiative in Defence of Democracy, met with a cross-section of the Ghanaian community in Vic alongside Foreign Affairs Minister Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Ghana’s Ambassador to Spain, H.E. Kalsoume Sinare Baffoe. The gathering drew traditional leaders, executives of the Ghana Union, and representatives of provincial associations in a display of national solidarity.
Delivering greetings on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang commended the community for its exemplary conduct abroad.
“I bring you the warm felicitations of His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama,” she told the packed hall. “The positive reputation you continue to uphold here in Spain is a testament to the Ghanaian character of discipline, industry, and respect. You are ambassadors in deed, not just in name.”
The Vice President addressed Spain’s proposed regularization initiative for undocumented migrants, assuring the diaspora that comprehensive guidance would be provided.
“We are engaging all relevant authorities to ensure our compatriots receive accurate information and protection throughout this process,” she stated.
Pivoting to domestic policy, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang outlined the administration’s economic reset, underscoring decisive measures to stabilize the macroeconomy, tame inflation, and entrench fiscal discipline.
“Our focus is unambiguous,” she declared. “We are transmuting Ghana’s economy from one tethered to raw commodity exports into a resilient, value-added, production-driven engine. The “Big Push” infrastructure agenda is the backbone of that transformation.”
She catalogued flagship social interventions designed to widen opportunity and ease household burdens: the No-Fees Stress Policy for first-year tertiary students, free sanitary pads for schoolgirls to safeguard educational access, and expanded primary healthcare delivery.
On job creation and productivity, the Vice President spotlighted the Goldbod Programme, the phased rollout of a 24-hour economy, and the establishment of the Women’s Development Bank as instruments of inclusive growth.
“These are not slogans. They are deliberate, calibrated interventions to ensure that growth is felt in the market, in the classroom, and in the clinic,” she emphasized.
In agriculture, she noted that government is accelerating import substitution through mechanization and irrigation to boost local production and food security.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang closed with a charge to the diaspora to remain a formidable partner in national development.
“Your remittances, your skills, your networks — they are indispensable to Ghana’s renaissance. Stay engaged. Stay united. Government remains resolute in safeguarding your welfare and deepening our ties with you,” she said, to resounding applause.
The event concluded with an interactive session where community leaders raised concerns on consular services, investment facilitation, and skills transfer. Minister Ablakwa and Ambassador Sinare Baffoe assured the gathering of continued diplomatic support and streamlined engagement.
The Vic meeting marks the final leg of the Vice President’s Spain visit, signaling an administration intent on coupling international diplomacy with deliberate diaspora mobilization as Ghana pursues its 2028 development targets.