More than 170 million people of African descent form a vast and resource-rich diaspora, but their potential remains largely untapped.
Written by Sunny Ofeje,
Africa’s development story is often told through the familiar lens of foreign aid, lending, and government reform. But the continent’s most powerful and least recognized engine of growth does not exist within its borders. It lives abroad.
Today, more than 170 million people of African descent form a vast and resource-rich diaspora. However, their potential is still largely untapped. Traditionally, their donations have been returned to them in remittances. But today, the story is even bigger. Economically, intellectually and culturally, the African diaspora is an engine of development that has the potential to transform the continent.
Consider the size of the remittance. According to the World Bank, sub-Saharan Africa received $49 billion in 2021. By 2024, these flows are estimated to have nearly doubled to $95 billion, exceeding foreign aid in some countries. Egypt ($22.7 billion) and Nigeria ($19.8 billion) rank among the world’s largest remittance recipients.
Families use this money to pay for food, tuition, medical care, and housing. However, consumption alone cannot build an economy. If even a small portion of this is channeled into productive investment, it could fundamentally change Africa’s development trajectory.
The African Development Bank emphasizes the need for clear investment frameworks, reduced regulatory barriers and transparent financial instruments that turn emotional connections into economic activity. The challenge isn’t the will, it’s the infrastructure.
Intellectual capital is also an important aspect. Africa’s so-called “brain drain” has long been described as a loss. However, recent research is prompting a shift in perspective.
A 2023 study published in World Development Perspectives focuses on “brain circulation,” where diaspora professionals contribute through short-term consulting, virtual mentorship, academic partnerships, and field-specific missions without permanently relocating.
Returnees bring knowledge, technology, and innovation that strengthen local governance, institutions, and modernization efforts. African governments can unlock this potential by simplifying certification, recognizing foreign qualifications, and establishing diaspora skills corps to deploy expertise in priority areas.
Entrepreneurship is equally appealing. Entrepreneurs in the African diaspora understand local markets while moving between Western, Asian, and Middle Eastern economies. These are natural bridges that connect African companies to global supply chains, export markets and investment networks. But many countries make it unnecessarily difficult for diaspora people to invest or set up businesses.
Slow dual citizenship processes, cumbersome company registration, and outdated investment laws create barriers where bridges should be built. Discrete business desks in embassies, harmonized citizenship pathways and targeted investment incentives could spark an entrepreneurial boom across the continent.
Cultural influence is another area where the diaspora is already leading. Afrobeats is dominating the world’s music charts. Nigeria’s film industry, Nollywood, is currently the second largest film producer in the world. African fashion designers headline runways in Paris, Milan and New York. Diaspora communities expand these industries and grow international markets while promoting Africa’s soft power.
Diaspora involvement is essential for cross-border trade in cultural property and strengthening Africa’s global image, according to a study by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
Don’t ignore the political implications. African communities abroad are shaping policy on immigration, climate justice, trade, and development. Strategically mobilized, they can act as Africa’s voice in global forums even in the absence of African leaders.
The problem is not a lack of capacity. It is Africa’s failure to engage with its own people. Aid alone cannot foster Africa’s rebirth. Its future lies in leveraging African investment, expertise and cultural influence to connect Africans at home and abroad.
Africa does not need to reinvent the wheel. We need to see the diaspora not as outsiders, but as partners: investors, innovators, cultural diplomats, and advocates. There is evidence that African families around the world are ready. The question is whether Africa is ready to meet them halfway.
The time to act is now. With the right policies, investment structures and knowledge transfer channels, the diaspora can become a driving force for Africa’s economic and cultural transformation. Africa’s recovery awaits African people, not aid packages.
The author, Dr. Sunny Ofeje, is the Executive Assistant on External Relations and Diaspora Affairs to the Governor of Delta State.
