President Nana Akufo-Addo has expressed his “sincere, heartfelt gratitude to the people of Ghana” for helping to make the Year of Return a success.

In a press release signed by the President, he said “the welcoming attitude and the warm Ghanaian hospitality proved to be the strongest attraction to hundreds of thousands of our kith and kin from the African diaspora, who thronged our shores to commemorate the Year of Return. The proverbial Ghanaian hospitality won once more.”

He said Year of Return proved to be exciting and afforded Ghanaians the chance to re-establish, intensify and solidify the relations between those of us on the Continent and those in the Diaspora.

“They felt very welcome, enjoyed their stay with us, and, as a result, our country is, once again, the toast not only of Africa but also of the world.

“I commend the Inspector General of Police, the Chief of Defence Staff of the Armed Forces, and the officers, men and women of our security services for their sense of professionalism and dedication to duty, which enabled them to preserve the peace and security of our country in the course of the celebration. By the grace of God, no untoward incident occurred,” the release said.

He said as the new initiative of “Beyond the Return” starts, all Ghanaians must demonstrate this same level of excitement and commitment that characterised the Year of Return and help make it also an enduring success.

Beyond the Return will entail engaging in mutually beneficial trade, investment and cultural co-operation with the African Diaspora,

“Together, I am confident that we can imbibe in ourselves a deep consciousness and understanding of the goals and history of the African peoples to ensure that the 21st century is, indeed, the African century, the century of black people the world over.

“May God bless us all, and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong, and may God bless Mother Africa,” the release from the Jubilee House stated.