The government, through the Interior Ministry, has reminded Ghanaians that Tuesday, 21 September 2021, which marks Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day, is a statutory public holiday and should be observed as such throughout the country.

This was contained in a statement signed by Minister for the Interior Ambrose Dery.

This holiday commemorates the birthday of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first president.

The day is marked with lectures and events to commemorate the achievements and legacy of Dr Nkrumah.

History of Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day

In 1874, Britain took control over parts of Ghana, naming them the British Gold Coast.

Britain was weakened by the efforts of World War II and following a rising desire for independence, Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to achieve independence, on March 6th 1957.

Dr Nkrumah was the driving force behind the independence of Ghana from British rule and founded the Convention People’s Party (CPP).

In 1960, Prime Minister Dr Kwame Nkrumah was sworn into office as the first President of the country and the republic was proclaimed on July 1st 1960.

In February 1966, while Nkrumah was on a state visit to Vietnam and China, his government was overthrown in a military coup. Dr Nkrumah never returned to Ghana and died in April 1972.

In September 2009, the late President John Evans Atta Mills declared September 21st (the centenary of Kwame Nkrumah's birth in 1909) to be Founder's Day, a statutory holiday in Ghana.