Ghana reviews GH¢25,000 citizenship fee — MyJoyOnline
The Ghanaian government is reviewing the GH¢25,000 fee for acquiring citizenship following appeals from diaspora representatives, who consider the amount an obstacle to formalizing ties with the country. MyJoyOnline reports, citing Kofi Okyere Darko, director of the Office of the President’s Diaspora Affairs Office.
According to him, the issue has already been raised with the interior minister and will be considered through the established procedure. Darko said the authorities do not want the cost of citizenship to become a barrier for diaspora members seeking to establish formal ties with Ghana.
Comments from meeting participants
The issue was discussed during a meeting with diaspora representatives in Accra. Participants also spoke about investment and deepening Ghana’s ties with its historical diaspora.
One participant, Imakhus Nzinga Okofu, known as Mama One Africa, questioned the uniform approach toward people who have long-standing ties with the country. She has lived in Ghana since 1987 and asked how the fee could apply to someone who has lived in the country for more than ten years, is married to a Ghanaian citizen, and has invested more than GH¢25,000 there.
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According to Okofu, such a payment could create an additional obstacle for people from the diaspora who have already lived, worked, invested, or started families in Ghana.
Comparison with the previous fee
Another participant, Nataki Kanban from the United States, who acquired Ghanaian citizenship in 2019, said she paid between GH¢150 and GH¢200 at the time. She pointed to the significant difference between that amount and the current GH¢25,000 fee.
Kanban also criticized the amount of the fee in the context of Ghana’s efforts to strengthen ties with the historical African diaspora and discussions about reparations for the transatlantic slave trade.
Kofi Okyere Darko stressed that the government is interested not only in the formal acquisition of citizenship, but also in ties with people who have long lived in Ghana, hold residence permits, and are ready to invest and contribute to the country’s development. He added that any changes to the fee amount must undergo the appropriate government procedure.
