President Akufo-Addo has announced that government has commenced work to see to the construction of a number of museums to honour some of Ghana’s greats.
Among the heros to be venerated include; Queen mother of Ejisu, Yaa Asantewaa, the Big Six comprising;Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, Edward Akufo-Addo, Joseph Boakye Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey and William Ofori Atta, among others.
Also, government is working on a memorial park in Cape Coast for the Aborigines, a memorial enclave in Tamale for the founders of the erstwhile Northern People’s Party to symbolise their participation in the drive for national independence and the completion of the ongoing works at the Bonwire museum.
President Akufo-Addo made this known when he commissioned the newly revamped Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra today, July 4, 2023.
In his speech, the president tasked the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to ensure the country brings in one million tourists annually just to tour the newly revamped Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
“Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park which attracted some 90,000 annually before the renovation, is now expected to attract over one million tourists annually. I’m charging the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and its agencies to devise effective marketing and promotional strategies, to achieve the target of 1 million domestic and international tourist visitations to the Park,” he said.
The park which is located on the coast of Accra was built by the late Jerry John Rawlings in the year 1990 in honour of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President. It was subsequently opened to the public in 1992.
Since its construction, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park had not seen any revamp. On 19th July 2022, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, cut sod for the commencement of the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum.
This was after the government in 2018 secured a US$40 million loan facility from the World Bank through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to strengthen the tourism environment.
Now in its upgraded state, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park houses a presidential library, an audio-visual Fountain which incorporates captivating visuals and synchronized music, an upgraded road and drainage Network among others.
On their part, the family of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah expressed appreciation to government for the redevelopment of the Memorial Park.
Tourism plays a crucial role in driving economic growth, and in Ghana, it holds the position of the third-largest contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
In 2021, the tourism sector generated a substantial revenue of $2.1 billion, and its contribution increased to approximately $2.3 billion in the following year.
Looking ahead, the government has set ambitious goals for the tourism sector, aiming to achieve a revenue of $4 billion by 2024.
Source: The Independent Ghana | Andy Ogbarmey-Tettey