Government reviews GH¢25,000 citizenship fee after diaspora concerns

The government is reviewing the GH¢25,000 fee for acquiring Ghanaian citizenship following concerns from members of the diaspora that the cost could discourage people from formalising their ties with the country.

Director of the Diaspora Affairs Office of the President, Kofi Okyere Darko, said the matter had already been raised with the Minister for the Interior and would be considered through the appropriate process.

He said government did not want the cost of citizenship to become a barrier for members of the diaspora seeking to establish formal ties with Ghana.

“We didn’t want to relegate or shelve citizenship because of that amount, but quite a number of the people in the diaspora family are not happy with it. So I’ve spoken with the Minister in charge of Interior for us to look at that amount again,” he said.

The issue was raised during a diaspora engagement meeting in Accra, where participants discussed citizenship, investment and efforts to deepen Ghana’s relationship with its historic diaspora.

One participant, Imakhus Nzingah Okofu, popularly known as Mama One Africa, questioned the rationale for applying the same fee to people who have already established longstanding connections with Ghana.

Ms Okofu, who has lived in Ghana since 1987, said her circumstances would make the fee particularly difficult to justify.

“For instance, if I have lived in this country for more than 10 years, married to a Ghanaian and invested much more than GH¢25,000 in Ghana, and I am now applying for citizenship, how are you going to charge me?” she asked.

She said the cost could create an additional hurdle for members of the diaspora who have already lived, worked, invested or established families in Ghana.

Nathakie Kanban, a member of the Ghanaian diaspora in the United States who became a Ghanaian citizen in 2019, also questioned the current charge.

Ms Kanban said she paid between GH¢150 and GH¢200 when she acquired Ghanaian citizenship in 2019, pointing to the significant difference between that amount and the current GH¢25,000 fee.

She also questioned the charge in the context of Ghana’s efforts to strengthen its relationship with the historic African diaspora, particularly amid discussions about reparations for the transatlantic slave trade.

“The fee is out of line with asking the rest of the world to pay reparations, with slavery being the worst crime against humanity. But then when you come, they request money,” she said.

Mr Okyere Darko said the government’s interest extends beyond people simply acquiring Ghanaian citizenship.

He said the focus includes members of the diaspora who have developed longstanding connections with Ghana, including people who have lived in the country for years, obtained residency and are willing to invest and contribute to national development.

He said the government’s broader objective was to deepen Ghana’s relationship with members of the diaspora who have genuine and sustained connections to the country.

The review of the citizenship fee therefore forms part of a wider discussion about how Ghana can encourage diaspora engagement while maintaining the requirements and processes governing citizenship.

Mr Okyere Darko said any change to the fee would have to follow the appropriate government process.

The concerns raised at the engagement have brought renewed attention to the balance between the financial requirements for acquiring Ghanaian citizenship and Ghana’s efforts to encourage members of its historic diaspora to reconnect, invest and participate in national development.