By: Ashiadey Dotse
Vice President of Ghana, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has called for stronger global action on reparations for Africa and its diaspora, stressing that justice and dignity must guide the process.
Speaking at the 2nd Africa–CARICOM Summit, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang delivered remarks on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, who also serves as the African Union’s Champion for Reparations.
The summit, held under the theme “Transcontinental Partnership in Pursuit of Reparatory Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations,” brought together African and Caribbean leaders to reaffirm their joint commitment to reparatory justice.
The Vice President outlined several key priorities, including support for the AU Commission of Experts on Reparations and the Global Reparations Fund, which was created with CARICOM to coordinate claims and mobilize resources.
She emphasized that reparations go beyond financial compensation, covering historical acknowledgment, land recovery, cultural renewal, policy reforms, and community empowerment.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang also urged progressive nations to back the reparations agenda through diplomacy, legal frameworks, funding mechanisms, and moral responsibility.
Highlighting the importance of the ongoing Decade of Reparations, she said it provides a decisive opportunity for Africa and its diaspora to achieve tangible results. She further announced that Ghana and Togo will co-host a major reparations event in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September 2025.
“Reparations are not only about the past; they are about shaping a just, humane, and equitable future,” the Vice President said, quoting Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah: “Forward ever, backward never.”
