Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Emmanuel Victor Smith, welcomed Ghana’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh, during a courtesy call in Washington, D.C., ahead of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) Alumni Association’s anniversary congress in the United States.
The meeting brought together officials of the UCC Alumni Association in the United States and members of the High Commissioner’s delegation in a warm and engaging discussion focused on diaspora engagement, higher education partnerships, investment opportunities, and national development.
Professor Edu-Buandoh explained that the visit was intended not only to pay respects to the Ghana Embassy in Washington but also to strengthen ties between the diplomatic mission and the growing UCC alumni network in the United States.
“We felt that it’s important for us to pay a courtesy call,” she said. “The UCC Alumni Association is a strong association that supports the university at home, so that when there is a question for facilitation, at least you can put a face to the names here.”
The High Commissioner and the alumni executives also briefed Ambassador Smith on the upcoming UCC alumni congress, which marks the association’s 10th anniversary celebration in the United States. According to the delegation, the association currently has nearly 600 members spread across six chapters throughout the country and continues to play an active role in supporting the University of Cape Coast.
“This is our 10th anniversary, and we are having an in-person congress to celebrate that and bring all the members in the United States together,” one representative explained.
Ambassador Smith, who has spent the last several months leading aggressive investment outreach efforts across the United States, used the occasion to outline the Embassy’s strategy of engaging diaspora professionals and international investors to support Ghana’s development agenda.
He emphasized that the Embassy has been organizing investment forums in partnership with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre to showcase opportunities in sectors including education, infrastructure, energy, innovation, and technology.
According to Ambassador Smith, many diaspora Ghanaians have expressed interest in returning home or partnering with foreign investors to contribute to Ghana’s growth, particularly when clear incentives and strategic partnerships are available.
The discussion also highlighted pressing investment needs within the University of Cape Coast. Members of the delegation appealed for partnerships to improve infrastructure and student welfare at the institution, particularly in accommodation and student services.
The delegation further praised Ambassador Smith’s investment-focused diplomacy and encouraged the Embassy to include higher education institutions prominently in its investment promotion efforts.