Mahama expects heads of state at a multi-day 70th anniversary in 2027, and the Nkrumah Memorial Park wants Nkrumah's independence photo on some cedi notes.

Published 7 Nov 2026, 06:48 GMT

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President John Dramani Mahama says Ghana's 70th anniversary in 2027 will run beyond March 6, with heads of state expected, while the Nkrumah Memorial Park wants a new photograph on selected cedi notes.

He told the Presidential Press Corps, on his return from London, a Russia-Africa summit and the 28th Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, that planning had begun.

"Many world leaders have expressed a wish to come because of Ghana's prominence as the first to break away from colonialism. So, we expect a lot of heads of state to join us for the celebration," he said.

He named no leader who had confirmed. Ghana was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to leave British colonial rule, on March 6, 1957.

The planning committee has not yet given its report, so the shape of the programme is still open. Mahama said he did not expect a single day.

"It's not just going to be a day's event. I'm sure it will be a celebration over a period, with many activities leading up to the event and even after it," he said.

He wants exhibitions that show the years since independence as they were. "We've had our setbacks, but we've also had successes, and so we need to showcase all that," he said.

He pointed to work already under way in Accra: road repairs and fresh markings, broken pavements and landscaping. He said regional capitals should get their own facelift, including repairs to selected roads.

He gave no budget and no date for finishing the work.

On Friday, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park asked the Bank of Ghana to take the Big Six portrait off selected notes and put in its place the photograph of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah declaring independence on March 6, 1957.

Acting executive director Collins Rawlings Nunyonameh signed the statement. It does not say which denominations.

The Park said the Big Six still deserve recognition, and that their portrait is on almost all Ghanaian notes. The six are Nkrumah, Joseph Boakye Danquah, Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey, William Ofori Atta and Edward Akufo-Addo.

"Our currency should not merely facilitate transactions; it should tell our national story. And there is no story more fundamental to modern Ghana than the moment we became free," the statement said.

On Thursday, a day before that statement, the Bank of Ghana said the notes will be launched on November 12. Our report on the new date sets out that the current notes remain legal tender.

The bank's post does not answer the Park. No public reply from the Bank of Ghana to the proposal had appeared by Saturday morning.

Araba IncoomAraba Incoom writes on multiple topics with a vast knowledge across different sector. You can almost call me an AI, after all, my initials are Araba Incoom.

Ghana at 70: Mahama expects celebrations beyond 6 March as Park seeks new cedi image

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