Paper short abstract:

Remittances come in different forms. The significant role of transferred political and social ideas, skills, and knowledge to Africa's development is critical. This chapter examines the reasons, knowledge, ideas and values of returnees to Ghana and how they mobilise themselves for development.

Paper long abstract:

Remittances come in different forms, they may be financial, goods, social and political ideas. However, the increasing interest of African governments and policy makers on financial remittances has created a lacuna in the remittances and development nexus. The significant but invisible role of transferred political and social ideas, skills, and knowledge of skilled migrants to Africa's development is critical. Skilled migrants are returning to their countries of origin with expertise and acquired knowledge which has a ripple effect on development. However, only a handful of programmes which are mostly internationally arranged programmes such as the Diaspora-Carnegie program, the German's return experts and the IOM return programs coordinate such returns. African governments' efforts to harness these opportunities have been inadequate and call for attention. Using Ghana as a case, this chapter examines the reasons, knowledge, and values of skilled return migrants to Ghana and how they mobilise themselves for development of the home country as well as sustain their return. This chapter recommends the recognition and inclusion of how to leverage social and political remittances for Africa's development for the UN Global compact on migration.