Segment: Emotion Doesn't Pay Bills - Moving to Ghana Requires Logic, Not Just Ancestral Connection.

Summary

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Konnected Minds Podcast - Episode Summary

Segment: "Emotion Doesn't Pay Bills - Moving to Ghana Requires Logic, Not Just Ancestral Connection"

Host: Derrick Abaitey
Date: January 20, 2026

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Episode Overview

This segment of the Konnected Minds Podcast, hosted by Derrick Abaitey, confronts a powerful narrative: returning to Africa—specifically Ghana—motivated by emotion and ancestral longing is not enough to ensure success. Derrick and his guest (A) delve into the realities behind the “Year of Return” and “Beyond the Return” movements. They caution against uprooting one’s life out of sentiment alone, urging would-be returnees to pair emotional connection with logical planning and an honest look at economic realities.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Business Mindset: Immigrants and Opportunity

• Perspective on Immigrant Mentality:
  • Host and guest muse about how Ghanaians who migrate often work for others abroad, in contrast to returnees who see Ghana as an entrepreneurial landscape.
  • Notable Insight (00:10-00:43):
    • People who grow up in a place may miss opportunities that outsiders can spot immediately.
    • Accra, for example, offers fresh prospects to someone moving from Tamale, just as Ghana itself looks different to a returnee.
• Ease of Starting a Business in Ghana:
  • Ghana’s informality and reliance on relationships make it easier to start a business compared to Western countries with more "red tape."
  • Quote (00:43, A):

    "They see the opportunity to start a business easier than somewhere else without as much red tape as somewhere else... there's a lot of informality here that make it easier for someone to just say, 'I'm just going to start doing something.'"

  • Example (01:08-01:25): Contrast with UK regulations shutting down a home-based "wache" food business—impossible barriers in the West, but not in Ghana.

2. The Year of Return & Social Media’s Amplification

• First-Hand Account of Organization (01:30-03:00):
  • Guest served as social media manager for the Ghana Tourism Authority, working directly with Year of Return and Beyond the Return.
  • Grassroots expectations underestimated how big the movement would become.
  • Memorable Moment (02:07, A):

    "It's like... you've prepared for 100 people and then all of a sudden there's 3,000 people."

• Social Media & Celebrity Effect:
  • Viral video moments (e.g., Steve Harvey, Boris Kojo, Michael Jai White visiting Ghana) ignited massive interest and diaspora curiosity.
  • Major international news outlets took note, swelling the influx of returnees.

3. Lessons Learned: Preparation & Realities

• Misalignment of Expectation and Reality (03:30-05:30):
  • The organizing team was not prepared for the scale of interest, leading to information gaps for new arrivals.
  • Communication on what to expect—both good and bad—was lacking.
  • The guest now focuses her own platforms (social and written) on honest, balanced portrayals of moving to Ghana, including positives and negatives.

4. The Logic vs. Emotion Debate in Relocating to Ghana

• Core Message (06:40–08:00):
  • Many in the historic African diaspora feel a deep emotional draw to return to Ghana—driven by longing, ancestral connection, and the search for a home free from systemic racism.
  • Key Quote (06:40, A):

    "You can't just come on emotion... that's one of the top reasons why people end up moving here and then they leave within a couple of years—they moved on emotion only."

• Spiritual Experiences:
  • Vivid descriptions of returnees' visits to sites like Cape Coast, Elmina, and Asen Manso, with powerful encounters such as feeling ancestral spirits.
  • Includes an account from a Ghanaian cameraman who unexpectedly felt a presence in the Slave River.
• The Overlooked Logic:
  • Emotional connection to the land is profound, but it often blots out necessary planning:
    • How will you earn an income?
    • How will you build a sustainable life for yourself and your family?
  • Comparison (07:45, A):

    "Just like when you're in a relationship. A woman's in a relationship, she's like, 'Oh, I love him...,' but yet there's some negative side that supersedes that emotional thing. So sometimes we don't look at the logic."

• Reality Check:
  • Many turn to entrepreneurship out of necessity, not passion.
  • Key Takeaway:
    • Do not let ancestral connection override practical considerations—being prepared and having a plan are essential for a durable, successful relocation.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Recognition of Unexpected Scale (02:07, A):

  "It's like... you've prepared for 100 people and then all of a sudden there's 3,000 people. You're like, wait, I wasn't prepared for this many people."

• On the Power of Social Media (02:40, A):

  "When I did the video of Steve Harvey... that video went viral and it was like instantly people from abroad were suddenly sending messages, like, what is Steve Harvey doing in Ghana?"

• Defining the Motivation Pitfall (06:40, A):

  "You can't just come on emotion... that's one of the top reasons why people end up moving here and then they leave within a couple of years—they moved on emotion only."

• Drawing Parallels with Relationships (07:45, A):

  "Just like when you're in a relationship... sometimes we don't look at the logic."

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Key Timestamps

• 00:01–01:25: Cultural perceptions of opportunity and informal business environment in Ghana
• 01:30–03:00: Behind-the-scenes on Year of Return, scale, and social media’s influence
• 03:30–05:30: Gaps in communication and preparation for returnees
• 06:40–08:00: The emotional versus logical drive in returning to Ghana; spiritual experiences; warning against neglecting practicalities

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Summary Conclusion

This Konnected Minds Podcast episode is a vital reality check for diasporans and anyone enthralled by Africa’s magnetic pull to “return home.” It underscores the necessity of blending emotional connection with logical, actionable planning. Ghana’s warm spirit and ease of entrepreneurship are real, but so are the challenges of making a living and sustainably rebuilding a life there. Derrick Abaitey and his guest call for greater honesty, robust preparation, and clear-eyed self-assessment for those dreaming of a return.

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Transcript

[A]

Does that make sense?

[B]

It makes sense. But having said that, how many people, how many Ghanaians go to Canada and think of business in Canada?

[A]

They usually go there and just go and work for someone.

[B]

There you go.

[A]

Yes, they usually go there and work for someone. That is right. That's correct. But I was just using that as an example of the human mind, when it sees something out of their own environment, recognizes something that the people who are there don't see. Like, if somebody who lives in Tamale their whole life comes to Accra, they're gonna see things in Accra that to them is like, wow. But someone in Accra is gonna be like, what is this? Is this is nothing.

[B]

Yeah, but what does Ghana really do to the people that when they come in, Most of them, about 80% of people, they think of business when they.

[A]

Come to Ghana because they see the opportunity to start a business easier than somewhere else without as much red tape as somewhere else. Like, I think because there's a lot of relationship here, there's a lot of informalities here that make it easier for someone to just say, I'm just gonna start doing something. If that makes sense.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what? But yeah, because look, back in the uk, there was a lady that was making wache in her house and people used to come and buy from her house. At some point, the council came in to close it up because she can't do it. Regulations and all of that. When we come back home, it's slightly easier.

[A]

Because of the informalities.

[B]

Because of the informalities. I think I understand what you're saying.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Let's talk about this. You worked a bit close to the whole Year of Return agenda. Beyond a return. You know, you were there. You were one of the.

[A]

I was a social media manager. That's it. I was working in their secretariat office. So, yes, I worked directly for Ghana Tourism Authority. The Year of Return and the beyond the Return Secretariat were underneath Ghana Tourism Authority. So we reported to Ghana Tourism Authority. Awesome.

[B]

Now, from your view, how do you think the entire model would have been structured? Better to keep people, give people more information on their return.

[A]

You know, first of all, I think that the launch of the Year of Return campaign, everyone who was part of the team didn't realize how big it was going to become. That's the first thing I'll say. I think a lot of people, and this is my opinion, from my observation, I think a lot of people on the team thought it was going to be successful, but didn't realize it was going to Become massive. And so when it became massive, it was actually overwhelming because it's like having like, let's say, let's say you've prepared for. And I'm just throwing these numbers out. I'm not saying these are the numbers they had. Like, if you've prepared, if you have a party at your house and you've prepared that 100 people are coming to your party, you've prepared for 100 people and then all of a sudden there's 3,000 people. You're like, wait, I didn't, I wasn't prepared for this many people. I think that's what happened. They were prepared for people to come, but didn't realize it was going to be as a massive number as it was because it snowballed. And I think it snowballed and became bigger because of social media. I remember when I did the video of Steve Harvey when he came and some of his frat brothers who live in Ghana came and greeted him at the Du Bois center. And then I did the quick interview with him. That video went viral and it was like instantly people from abroad were suddenly sending messages like, what is Steve Harvey doing in Ghana? What's happening in Ghana that Steve Harvey is in Ghana? What's going on? And the same thing happened at the beginning of the year when Boris Kojo, Bozma St. John, Michael J. White, Rosaria Dawson, like a whole bunch of different people who were in Ghana, celebrities from the us, they started posting their social media and that also helped with gaining traction. So social media played a huge role in people wondering what is happening in Ghana, that these people are there, what is happening in Ghana? That media is having this attention because as a result, you'd had news organizations in the U.S. like CNN, ABC and then the U.S. you know, I think ITV, I mean in the UK, ITV, BBC, Africa, like suddenly they're all doing these stories about Ghana and this whole year of return campaign of the diaspora coming. I think that that is what happened is that the preparation for the number of people, it was unexpected how many came. So then as a result, when you have too many people coming, you're not ready for what you need to do to prepare them for their arrival. So beyond the return, which was launched after for 2020, was supposed to be the follow up to help guide people in their return. So beyond the return was announced at the end of December 2019 that it would be now addressing issues like, you know, investing in Ghana, you know, helping the diaspora with moving to Ghana. Those kinds of things was supposed to be A collaborative effort with beyond the Return and then the Diaspora affairs office. And it was supposed to be, but then Covid came and kind of made the momentum decline a bit. But then when the airports opened, it came back up. But I think communication is really important with telling people what to expect when they come to Ghana. And I think everybody was hopeful. And what happens is when there's a lot of hope, sometimes you miss out on some of the realities of what's being shared with what people should know. And that's what I try to do on my personal social media. Even when I was working there, I would try my best to share other information. I left that Office last year. October 2014 is when I had. I'm sorry, 2024 is when I had resigned. And I continue sharing stories about Ghana on my own platform. I try my best to share both positive and negative to people so they understand Ghana, which I did in my book. Your essential guide on moving to Ghana was to address the positives and negatives of moving to Ghana so people have an understanding.

[B]

Let me stop you here for a minute. So if it's your first time watching ConnectedMind or you have been here before but still have not subscribed, do us a favor, because majority of the people that watch our videos have not subscribed. This doesn't help us grow beyond what we expect. So help us by hitting the subscribe button. Now let's get back to the conversation. Ivy, for someone who's been advocating for Africans to move back to Africa, what's your truth about the two agenda?

[A]

My truth? Yes, about the agenda of moving back to Africa. My truth is you have to be ready. You have to be prepared. You can't just come on. Emotion, which I have said in my one of my videos before, is one of the top reasons why people end up moving here and then they leave within a couple of years is they moved on emotion. Only now I know we as human beings, we are emotional and we feel these connections and it's easy for us to make decisions like that. We do it in relationships. People make decisions based on emotion and, you know, people moving somewhere. It also happens too when it comes to Africa and Ghana specifically. People get this emotional bond, especially people who come from the diaspora, the historical diaspora, which is the term that I've heard the the Diaspora Africa Forum use. And the Diaspora Africa Forum is the only embassy for the Diaspora and they've been recognized by the African Union and they are based in Ghana. They're located behind the Dub Boy center. And I know that they have spoken about the historic diaspora being people who are of African descent, who may. Who were taken away through the transatlantic slave trade, whereas you have the African diaspora who have actual connection to the continent through birth or through parental lineage, grandparent lineage. So the experience is different for both. That's what I see. That's my observation. The diaspora who were taken in the transatlantic slave trade are the ones that tend to have more of the emotional decision making when they come because of what has happened, the disconnect through centuries and always having that feeling of not knowing where you're from and wanting to connect with a home, which would be Africa like, because that's where the DNA is coming from. And to know that I can go to Africa and I can be connected with my people and not worry about the experiences that you have as a black person living in a society where white people are controlling it, where you have the. The systems that are designed that hold people back. People of color, black people and other races face challenges because of the systematic racism that exists. And the desire is, I want to go back to Africa because Africa is where I'm not going to experience those things. So the pressures that you feel through systems that are built on the foundation of racism can be so painful that you want to go somewhere that you feel like you're going to be home, you're going to be with your people, people who look like you, you know that you're not going to turn around and someone says, I don't like you because you're black, because everyone else is black. So you have this emotional thing that you want to go back to Africa. And plus, many of them talk about feeling the spiritual connection when you land. Some people kiss the ground. People have gone when they go to the site where the Door of no Return. Yeah, go to the Door of no Return. You go to the Cape coast, to the dungeons there, to Elmina, to the Dunge. People go. And they talk about feeling the spirits of the ancestors in there. People feel it, you know, when you go to Asen Manso, to the Slave river, which was where the last bath happened of the people who were captured and enslaved. And they were bathed there for the last time before they were taken to Cape coast and Elmina to be shipped off. People have talked about feeling the spirits there in the water. One Ghanaian camera guy that I work with, when he was in the water filming some diasporans who came and he was standing there filming because people go and they want film their experience. He said he didn't get it at first. But that particular day, he said he felt like there was somebody grabbing his leg in the water. And he was like, he felt like that was a spirit that he felt grabbing his leg in the water. He was like, I never thought anything of it until that day. And I'm standing there filming and he felt and he looked and he's like, there's nobody there, but he feels like somebody's holding his leg. And so many have that spiritual feeling when they come, and when they get that spiritual connection, they feel, this is the land I need to be in. And so you're not thinking about the logical side of how will I make money when I'm here? How will I build a life when I'm here? How will I take care of my children when I'm here? Those thought processes don't come in when you're thinking about the emotion. Just like when you're in a relationship. A woman's in a relationship, she's like, oh, I love him. He's so wonderful. He's so good looking. He does this, he does that. And then they ignore some of the bad things about this person, of what they do and how they treat them, because they're looking at that, oh, he makes me feel good. Oh, he makes me this, he makes me that. But yet there's some negative side that supersedes that emotional thing. So sometimes we don't look at the logic. If you're coming to Ghana, I always say, yeah, there's going to be some emotion in it, but don't let the emotion only be the reason you come. Look at the logical side and ask those questions of, okay, so if I go, what business can I do? What job can I get? And I think some people go into business not because they want to be business people, but because they recognize after they're here, Ghana is not a place to come and look for a job. Connected Minds Podcast.