NewzMinister for Lands and Natural Resources Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has challenged Ghanaians and Africans to move beyond ceremonial remembrance of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and translate his ideals of self-determination, Pan-Africanism and self-reliance into concrete action. Speaking at the 2026 NkrumahFest at Nkroful on Saturday, Mr Buah said the 117th anniversary of Nkrumah’s birth should serve as a moment of reflection on whether Ghana and Africa are building the societies envisioned by the country’s first President. He said the commemoration had four purposes: to remember Nkrumah’s life and achievements with pride, reflect honestly on his vision, renew the commitment to the ideals for which he stood, and inspire a new generation to carry those values forward.
“Our celebration must never be a shallow ceremony. It must be an honest accounting of what we have built upon his foundation and what we have allowed to crumble.” Mr Buah said Nkrumah’s enduring legacy should be assessed not merely through historical accounts or monuments but through the institutions and infrastructure that continue to serve Ghana decades after his death. He cited the Akosombo Dam, Tema Harbour, Adomi Bridge, the universities, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Bank of Ghana and State Housing Corporation among developments and institutions that, in his view, demonstrate the long-term nature of Nkrumah’s development vision.
He stressed that Nkrumah’s major projects were conceived with future generations in mind rather than immediate political interests. “Kwame Nkrumah’s developmental projects and vision were never conceived for the next election. They were conceived for the next generation and for the next,” he said.
Mr Buah urged young people to understand this distinction as they consider their own responsibilities to Ghana and Africa. With this year’s celebration themed “Nkrumah @117: Celebrating His Enduring Legacy – Africa Must Unite or Perish”, the Minister placed particular emphasis on Nkrumah’s vision of a united continent. He said Nkrumah did not view Ghana’s independence as an isolated national achievement, but as part of a broader struggle for African liberation and unity.
He recalled Nkrumah’s declaration that “we face neither east nor west, we face forward”, and his position that Ghana’s independence would have limited meaning unless it was connected… This year’s NkrumahFest is being held under the theme “Nkrumah @117: Celebrating His Enduring Legacy – Africa Must Unite or Perish.” The week-long celebration in Nkroful is centred on the life, ideas and Pan-African vision of Ghana’s first President. Mr Buah said the celebration had four central purposes: to remember Nkrumah’s life and contribution with pride, reflect on whether Ghana and Africa are becoming what he envisioned, recommit to self-determination and Pan-Africanism, and inspire a new generation to carry his ideals forward.
He said Nkrumah’s legacy should not be confined to monuments, photographs or historical accounts, but measured by the institutions and infrastructure that continue to serve Ghanaians decades after his death. He cited the Akosombo Dam, Tema Harbour, Adomi Bridge, University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Bank of Ghana and State Housing Corporation as examples of institutions and projects associated with the developmental vision of the early post-independence era. According to him, the significance of Nkrumah’s approach was that major development projects were conceived with future generations in mind rather than short-term political considerations.
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