Ghana And Germany Discuss Options Of Furthering Development Impact Of Migration

Accra, 4 March 2022: In the framework of a working visit to Accra, the Deputy Prime Minister of the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Dr. Joachim Stamp, and the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Hon. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, held talks on how to improve the development impact of migration and further contribute to internationally competitive skills development in Ghana. The discussions centred on the cooperation between North Rhine-Westphalia and Ghana regarding building the technical capacity of Ghanaian youth to leverage on labour migration opportunities to Germany. Both sides expressed great appreciation for the collaboration they have enjoyed so far around migration, employment promotion, diaspora engagement and reintegration support.

German Cooperation in Ghana and its main implementing agency, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), are actively engaged in leveraging the development potential of migration in Ghana: As such, GIZ supports the Ghanaian diaspora to engage in the development of their home country, it assists migrants in their socio-economic reintegration, provides the local youth with livelihood prospects in the country and advices on options of regular migration, while creating awareness of the risks of irregular migration. The Ghanaian-German Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration (GGC) is the main institution of German Cooperation in Ghana in these matters. It is located on the premises of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations in Accra, and counsels returned migrants and local population alike on how they can build economic success in Ghana and advices on options of migration. Since its inception in 2017, the GGC has provided more than 60,000 support measures in these areas to Ghanaians.

The delegation from North Rhine-Westphalia met the Ghanaian Minister for Employment and his team at the GGC. Present at the meeting were the Deputy Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Hon. Bright Wireko-Brobbey; the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mr Kizito Ballans; the Chief Labour Officer, Mr Eugene Korletey; the German Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Daniel Krull; the Head of German Development Cooperation, Ms Dorothee Dinkelaker; GIZ Country Director, Ms Regina Bauerochse Barbosa, and the leadership team of the Ghanaian-German Centre.

The Head of the Ghanaian-German Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration, Benjamin Woesten, expressed appreciation to the delegation for choosing to be at the Centre for such an important meeting. “As the go-to-hub in Ghana for employment and migration related issues, we are excited to be hosting the delegation and providing the platform for deliberations on making migration as beneficial as possible: For the migrants, for the country of origin and for the country of destination” said Mr. Woesten.

The delegation was also taken on a visit to the ZPRIME Professional Driving Institute, where the German development cooperation through the Ghanaian-German Centre and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency supports returnees and local population to find employment, by providing them with marketable skills in heavy equipment operations. The delegation received an introduction to the services of the institute and also witnessed a demonstration of the institute’s graduates’ skills in forklift and backhoe excavator operation.

A Picture Of The Delation With The Minister Of Employment And Labour Relations