The grass is greener somewhere is an illusion – Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah tells Ghanaian youth

Professor Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah, a member of the NPP Vetting Committee and former diplomat, has cautioned Ghanaian youth against the misconception that life abroad invariably offers superior opportunities. In an interview on Eyewitness News, he emphasized that while some Ghanaians experience success after migrating, many others encounter difficulties that often go unnoticed by those back home.

"The idea that 'the grass is greener somewhere' is, in fact, an illusion," Prof. Adjei-Barwuah stated. He noted that young people frequently witness the apparent prosperity of migrants without being aware of the hardships and sacrifices that contributed to their achievements. "They show prosperity, but they don't reveal the basis of that prosperity," he explained.

Prof. Adjei-Barwuah pointed out that some migrants struggle to find employment in their field of study and are compelled to take on jobs that do not align with their qualifications. "Many of them actually end up not succeeding at all," he added, drawing from his own international experiences. Having lived and worked in the United States as well as serving as Ghana's ambassador to Japan and the United States, Prof. Adjei-Barwuah's firsthand experience abroad reinforced his view that migration should not be automatically considered the guaranteed route to a better life.

He shared that upon completing his studies in the United States, he declined multiple job offers because his resolve to return to Ghana was already formed. "When I left home, I knew that the Ghana I was leaving would be better than the States, and I wanted to be there when that happened," he said.