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educate. enjoy. embrace.
educate. enjoy. embrace.
Traveling to the continent can be overwhelming if you are not familiar with traveling or with Africa, so GRIOT OF THE DIASPORA is here to help you. With a consultation, I answer all of your questions and offer you a direct contact list to organizations, real estate developers, upcoming events. Along with assistance in accommodations and finding the right tourist experience for you whether you want to travel solo, group or a family. Depending on your time frame, interest and circumstances, if you need more than 1 hour of a consultation, that is also available for you.
Ghana's political leadership history
Ghana's political leadership history
During his first term (2012–2017), Mahama focused on infrastructure development, including transportation, health, and education sectors. However, his administration faced challenges such as economic downturns, power shortages, and corruption allegations, leading to his defeat in the 2016 elections by Nana Akufo-Addo
Current president of ghana 2025-2030,
john dramani mahama
Born on November 29, 1958, in Damongo, Ghana, Mahama hails from a politically active family; his father, Emmanuel Adama Mahama, served as a Member of Parliament and a regional commissioner under President Kwame Nkrumah. He pursued his education at Achimota School and Ghana Secondary School in Tamale. Mahama earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Ghana in 1981 and later obtained a postgraduate degree in social psychology from the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow in 1988.
Languages in Ghana:
Ghana’s languages developed from ancient Niger–Congo migrations, flourished through kingdoms and trade, created over 200+ languages, and now coexist with English. President Mahama has recently made announcements to deofficialize English for terteriary schools and uplift local language use for instruction.
Most Recognized LanguagesL Akan (Asante Twi), Akan (Akuapem Twi), MFantse, Ewe, Ga, Dangme, Nzema, Gonja, Dagbani, Dagaare, Kasem
GHANA'S HISTORY OF PRESIDENTIAL INDEPENDENCE SINCE 1957
africa must unite
Ghana and the African diaspora share a deep, historic connection rooted in the painful legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, yet their relationship has evolved into one of solidarity, cultural exchange, and mutual respect.
1935: Arrived in the U.S. from the Gold Coast (now Ghana).
Enrolled at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania (the first historically Black university in the U.S.).
Later pursued graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, earning multiple degrees in education, philosophy, and theology.
Nkrumah studied:
Western political philosophy (Plato, Hegel, Marx)
Black intellectuals (W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey)
The principles of socialism, nonviolence, and anti-colonialism
From all backgrounds, Black people who were and weren't affected by the transatlantic slave trade find themselves in Ghana to build communities across the country.
Ghana holds a special place in the hearts of African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans and Afro-Latinos due to its pivotal role in the fight for African independence from colonial rule. In 1957, Ghana became the first African country to gain independence from Britain under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah. This was a moment of hope not only for Africans but also for African Americans, who saw Ghana’s liberation as a symbol of resistance against colonial oppression and racial injustice.
1. Independence Leader
Led Ghana to independence from British colonial rule in 1957.
Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence, inspiring other liberation movements across Africa.
2. Visionary Pan-Africanist
Promoted Pan-African unity, hosted key figures like W.E.B. Du Bois and Malcolm X.
Played a major role in founding the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the precursor to the African Union.
3. Education and Infrastructure
Built new schools, universities (e.g., University of Cape Coast), and technical institutions.
Initiated major infrastructure projects like the Akosombo Dam for hydroelectric power and Tema Harbor.
4. Industrialization and Modernization
Advocated for a state-led economy with a focus on industrialization through the Seven-Year Development Plan.
Established state-owned enterprises aimed at reducing dependence on foreign imports.
president jerry john 'j.j.' rawlings
Rawlings, then a young Air Force officer (32 years old), led a coup after a failed earlier attempt. Executed former military leaders, including three former heads of state (Acheampong, Afrifa, Akuffo).
Rawlings overthrew the Limann government on 31 December 1981, citing mismanagement and economic collapse.
Formation of the PNDC
Formation of the PNDC
Rawlings established the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).
Suspended the constitution; political parties were banned.
Committees for the Defence of the Revolution (CDRs) and Workers’ Defence Committees (WDCs) were created.
Major Policies and Events
Major Policies and Events
Economic Recovery
By 1983, Ghana faced famine, drought, and economic collapse.
Rawlings adopted the Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) and Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP)with the IMF and World Bank.
These policies stabilized the economy, increased exports, and revived infrastructure.
However, they also brought hardship: layoffs, rising cost of living, and privatization.
Security and Human Rights
Early PNDC years were marked by:
Arbitrary arrests
Harsh military rule
Executions of suspected enemies of the state (e.g., 1982 murder of the 3 High Court Judges and a Retired Army Officer—although the government later prosecuted and executed those responsible)
Stepped down peacefully in 2001 after two constitutional terms—the first Ghanaian leader to do so under the Fourth Republic.
year of return initiative
In 2019, Ghana's current President Nana Akuffo-Addo took its relationship with African Americans to a new level with the "Year of Return" initiative which was announced in Washington D.C. This year-long celebration marked the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans arriving in Jamestown, Virginia.
The campaign invited African Americans to visit Ghana as a way of acknowledging their ancestral ties to the continent and celebrating the resilience of their forebears. It was a powerful and symbolic gesture, encouraging African Americans to rediscover their cultural heritage and embrace their African roots.
During Akuffo-Addo's last months in office, he granted over 3000+ citizenship certificates to Africans in the diaspora from the Americas, Caribbean and European countries.
The flip side of the 'Year of Return' coin is the reality of living in Ghana vs. visiting Ghana. Living in Ghana comes with challenges that many people in the Historical Diaspora are not equipped to tackle i.e., electricity outages, water issues, extreme poverty, beggar mentality, elitism, flooding, lack of waste management, toxic waste, etc. These issues have led to many people in the diaspora to feel that 'Ghana wasn't ready for us', but others are honored to be a part of the development. It is important for each individual interested in coming to Africa to be clear on your interests, capabilities and mindset because as we witness this experimental journey happen, there will be uncertainty along the way.
In my consultations, I offer cultural & society in Ghana consultations along with living in Ghana, visiting Ghana and being a foreign woman in Ghana.
a brief history of Ghana's colonia era
a brief history of Ghana's colonia era
a brief overview of significant events in ghana's colonial history from 1400s to 1957
Prior to Kwame Nkrumah's Presidential Independence in 1957 and his role as Prime Minister in 1952, Ghana underwent five centuries of European interference by multiple nations through trading eventually leading to enslaving humans for trade. As early as the 7th century, West Africa Sahel regions had a rich culture of empires known for their minerals or crafts which enticed the Arab-Berber traders from Northern Africa and Middle East territories. Known as the trans-saharan slave trade which aheavily impacted the Songhai, Mali and Ghana empires through Islamic interference until the 14th century.
'Ghana' was a term adopted by Arab Muslim slave traders but the 'Ghana empire' was self-identified by the Sonninke people as 'Wagadu'. The Wagadu Empire participated in the sale of gold, salt and ivory but fought against Islamic religions with a preference to maintain their traditional beliefs. Through wars and invasion, the empire collapsed and became a victim of enslaved human trafficking.
As the big 3 empires dissolved by the 13th century, the Portuguese are recorded as one of the earliest European groups to create a sophisticated slave market of Africans by 1441, despite the Portuguese kingdom being ruled by the Moors from 711 to 1492. By 1471, the Portuguese had travelled to the coast, naming the coasts 'Gold Coast' because 'El Mina' means 'the gold' in Portuguese. El Mina is the current name for the home of the El Mina slave dungeon in Central Region, Ghana which was built in 1482. In 1492, Christopher Columbus made way to what is today, the Americas. By 1555, Portuguese colonial groups enslaved 1000s of Africans from various tribes across West Africa including Wolof, Mandinka, Ga-Dangbe, Ewe, Fulani, Balanta, Papel, Bijago, Kongo, Mbundu and Akan (Mfantse and Ashanti) to Brazil. The Dutch eventually came a century later to overthrow the Portuguese fortresses to claim their stake in the slave trade.
Ghana was comprised of over 100+ tribes and languages with a deep history of land resources. As the Portuguese came to the coastal shores of Africa for natural resource trading in the late 1400s, by 1482, the Portuguese built their first fort in Gold Coast Ghana's Elmina coast.
Portuguese (1482–1642)
By 1444, Portuguese dignitaries were well involved in enforcing a slave trade in present day Lagos, Nigera and transported over 200+ Black Africans to Lisbon (AAIHS). The Portuguese spent the next century perfecting their slave labor practices, upgrading their national infrastructure and integrating African agricultural resources into the fabric of their society's traditional foods. In 1486, the Portuguese Crown created the Casa dos Escravos de Lisboa (the Lisbon Slave House), which was established to process the arrival, taxation, and eventual selling of African captives into Lisbon, thereby centralizing and formalizing the trade. Located near the shipyards and landing docks of the Tejo River, enslaved Africans largely from Benin, and the Congo were marched in chains to the prison of the Casa dos Escravos before their physical evaluation and auction in the public square known as Pelourinho Velho. In an attempt to solidify Lisbon’s hold on the trade, in 1512 the Portuguese king ordered that all slaves entering Portugal would be required to disembark in Lisbon—heavy penalties and fines awaited those who failed to follow. Historian John L. Vogt estimates that 10% of Lisbon’s population was black (both enslaved and free) during the sixteenth century (AAIHS).
Governed mainly from Elmina Castle, with captains/governors such as:
Diogo d’Azambuja (founder of Elmina, 1482)
Dutch (1598–1872)
Controlled Elmina and other forts until selling territories to Britain in 1872. Key figures: Sir Charles Macarthy, Jan Pieter, Theodoor Huydecoper. Many others served as Directors-General of the Dutch Gold Coast.
Fort Nassau: Built in 1598 in Moree, Central Region, Ghana it was the first Dutch fort.
Fort St. Jago (Fort Coenraadsburg): Built by the Dutch in 1637 on a hill overlooking Elmina Castle to defend it against other European powers.
Fort Orange: Built by the Dutch in 1642 in Sekondi.
Ussher Fort: Originally Fort Crèvecœur, it was built by the Dutch in 1649 and was transferred to the British in 1868.
Fort Batenstein: Located in Butre, it was built by the Dutch in 1656 for the gold trade and to repair ships.
Fort Amsterdam: Originally an English fort, the Dutch captured and renamed it in 1665.
Fort Good Hope: The last fort built by the Dutch on the Gold Coast in 1667, located in Senya Beraku.
Danish (1658–1850)
Governed from Christiansborg (Osu Castle). Fort Groß Friedrichsburg.
Notable governors include:
Jørgen Iversen (1660s)
Carl Gustav Engmann (1740s)
Brandenburg–Prussia (1682–1720)
Philipp Pietersen Blonck (first director)
1817–1821: Two British ambassadors are sent to Kumasi to discuss peace with King Osei Bonsu, but the attempt fails.
Ashanti-Anglo Wars (1824-1900)
Series of 5 wars amongst the Ashanti and Britain armies which included African kingdoms in alliance with British against the Ashanti. Alliances were built and enslavement continued.
Battle of Nsamankow (1824):
Asante forces defeated the British under Governor Charles MacCarthy. Sir Charles Macarthy and his Mfantse allies support the Denkyiras in the war against the Asantes. Macarthey dies in the war near Bonsaso.
1826: The Asantes are defeated in the Battle of Katamanso near Dodowa.
1831: George Maclean signs a treaty with the Asantes; 600 oz of gold is kept for the Asantes; two princes are sent to Britain. The princes return after six years in Britain in 1842.
British Colonial Governors of the Gold Coast
(1844–1957)
1844: Commander Hill signs a bond with the Asantes called ‘The bond of 1844’. George Maclean (though not officially a governor, served as Administrator, 1830–1844).
Henry Worsley Hill (1843–1845); James L. L. F. Macleod (1845–1849); William Winniett (1849–1851); James Bannerman (1851–1853); Henry Connor (1854–1857); Stephen Hill (1858–1865)
1863–1864: The Asantes defeat the British at the Battle of Bobikuma. The Asantes again defeat the British in another war.Edward B. Andrews (1865–1867); Robert W. Keate (1867–1868); Herbert Taylor Ussher (1872–1873)
Sir Garnet Wolseley (1873–1874) – campaign against Asante
1873–1877: Kofi Karikari the Asantehene invades southern and coastal areas. Major General Sir Garnet Wolseley with British expedition forces defeats the Asantes. The Treaty of Fomena is singed in 1874.
Late 19th – Early 20th Century
Sir George Strahan (1874–1876); Sir Sanford Freeling (1876–1878); Sir William Brandford Griffith (1880–1884); Sir Samuel Rowe (1885–1886); Sir William Brandford Griffith (again, 1886–1889)
The Berlin Conference in 1884-85 overtly dominated the governing powers in Africa to divide it into colonial borders to control natural resources.
Sir William Edward Maxwell (Governor, 1889–1897)
1896: British troops led by Sir Francis Scott march to Kumasi. The Asantehene Nana Agyeman Prempeh1 is captured and first exiled to the Elmina Castle, then to Sierra Leone, and finally to the Seychelles. Nana Prempeh I returns to Kumasi in 1924 and passes in 1931.Sir Frederick Hodgson (1898–1900) – famous for demanding the Golden Stool.
Sir Matthew Nathan (1900–1904); John Pickersgill Rodger (1904–1910); Sir James Thorburn (1910–1912); Sir Hugh Clifford (1912–1919)
1930s–1957 (Governors leading to independence)
Sir Ransford Slater (1927–1932); Sir Shenton Thomas (1932–1934); Sir Arnold Hodson (1934–1941); Sir Alan Burns (1941–1947); Sir Gerald Creasy (1947–1949)
Sir Charles Arden-Clarke (1949–1957) – Governor during transition to independence; Nkrumah becomes PM in 1952 before gaining full indepence in 1957.
On January 21, 1824, during the First Anglo-Ashanti War, British Governor Sir Charles MacCarthy was killed in the Battle of Nsamankow. His skull was reportedly rimmed with gold and used as a drinking cup by Ashanti rulers. Today, a town in Accra is named 'McCarthy Hill' near Mallam Junction administered by the British to commemorate him.
In 1869, the Asante troops captured the Ramseyers together with their young son and the mission’s commercial clerk Johannes Kühne, and held them captive in Kumasi for four years. During their captivity, Fritz and Rosa Ramseyer and Johannes Kühne recorded their observations and experiences in diaries, which were published in 1874. Photo provided by Basel Mission Archives, undated.
"Naval bridge men breakfasting in the courtyard of an Ashantee house", is an antique engraved print that was published in the Illustrated London News. 1874. Third Anglo-Ashanti War.
Kumasi, 1875.
The Ashanti regarded the stool as a living entity. It was never to touch the ground and was given its own chair to rest upon. Only the Asantehene, or king, was permitted to touch it, and even he could not sit on it. Near 1899, The British Governor, Sir Frederick Hodgson, demanded to sit on the Golden Stool, the ultimate symbol of the Ashanti nation's soul and independence. This profound insult sparked a final, fierce rebellion led by the queen mother Yaa Asantewaa.
Before her demise, in Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa's speech amongst a secret meeting of chiefs, she stated,
"How can a proud and brave people like the Ashanti sit back and look while white men take away their king and chiefs, and humiliate them with demand for the Golden Stool? The Golden Stool only means money to the white man; they have searched and dug everywhere for it. I shall pay nothing to the Governor. If you, the chiefs of Ashanti, are going to behave like cowards and not fight, you should exchange your loincloths for my undergarments. Is it true that the bravery of the Ashanti is no more? I cannot believe it. It cannot be! If the men of Ashanti will not go forward, then we, the women, will. We will fight the white men until the last one of us falls in the battlefields".
Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa was captured and exiled by the British to Seychelles, where she stayed for 20 years until her passing.
Key Academic Sources
Key Academic Sources
Rodney, Walter. How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. London, England: Verso Books, 2018
Bourret, F. M. Ghana: The Road to Independence, 1919-1957 (Stanford University Press, 1960).
Perbi, Akosua Adoma. A History of Indigenous Slavery in Ghana: From the 15th to the 19th Century. Accra: Sub-Saharan Publishers, 2004.
Kimble, David. A Political History of Ghana: The Rise of Gold Coast Nationalism, 1850-1928 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1963).
Wrangham, Elizabeth. Ghana during the First World War: The Colonial Administration of Sir Hugh Clifford (Carolina Academic Press, 2013).
Adu Boahen's Yaa Asantewaa and the Asante-British War of 1900-1.
Wraith, R. E. Guggisberg (Oxford, 1967). This is a biographical work focusing on the significant governorship of Sir Gordon Guggisberg, known for his development plans in the 1920s.
Crowder, Michael. West Africa Under Colonial Rule (London: Hutchinson, 1968).
The Gold Coast Bluebooks (various years, e.g., 1929-50). These are primary source government records and statistical surveys from the colonial era.
Public Records and Archives Administration Department (PRAAD), Ghana, and the British National Archives (Kew).
Dumett, Raymond E. "Pressure Groups, Bureaucracy, and the Decision-making Process: The case of slavery abolition and colonial expansion in the Gold Coast, 1874" (The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, 1981).
William Ansah Sessarakoo https://slaveryandremembrance.org/people/person/?id=PP029
Birmingham, David. Trade and Conflict in Angola: The Mbundu and their Neighbours under the Influence of the Portuguese, 1483–1790. Clarendon Press, 1966.
Heywood, Linda M. and John K. Thornton. Central Africans, Atlantic Creoles, and the Foundation of the Americas, 1585–1660. Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Miller, Joseph C. Way of Death: Merchant Capitalism and the Angolan Slave Trade, 1730–1830. University of Wisconsin Press, 1988.
Hawthorne, Walter. Planting Rice and Harvesting Slaves: Transformations Along the Guinea-Bissau Coast, 1400–1900.Heinemann, 2003.
Brooks, George E. Landlords and Strangers: Ecology, Society and Trade in Western Africa, 1000–1630. Westview Press, 1993.
Russell-Wood, A. J. R. The Portuguese Empire, 1415–1808: A World on the Move. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.
https://www.abhmuseum.org/three-of-the-worlds-most-influential-empires-wagadu-mali-and-songhai/
dr. w.e.b. dubois, exile & the right to abode in ghana
1. Invitation from Kwame Nkrumah
In 1961, Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, invited Du Bois to Ghana to work on the Encyclopedia Africana, a project aimed at documenting the history and culture of Africa from an African perspective. Nkrumah admired Du Bois for his Pan-African ideals and scholarship.
2. Move to Ghana
Du Bois accepted the invitation and moved to Ghana in 1961 at the age of 93, with his wife Shirley Graham Du Bois. Ghana granted him citizenship, and he renounced his U.S. citizenship in protest against racism and Cold War McCarthyism.
3. Death and Burial in Ghana
Du Bois died in Accra, Ghana, on August 27, 1963, one day before the March on Washington in the U.S. His funeral was honored with a state ceremony. He was buried in Ghana, and his gravesite has since become a memorial and museum known as the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre.
4. Legacy in Ghana
The W.E.B. Du Bois Centre in Accra serves as:
A research facility for Pan-African studies
A museum and archive of Du Bois’s works
A symbolic site for the African diaspora and Pan-African unity
Assisted in the enactment of African Americans and descendants of the transatlantic slave trade having the right to abode in Ghana.
African Americans are not given automatic citizenship despite social media rhetori. However, there are pathways to gain citizenship which includes permanent residency, marriage, residential permits, work permits and other governmental requirements.
Travel itineraries are the main characters of all international trips and it's time to explore the beauty of Ghana beyond the norm. Ghana, located in the Western zone of Africa, has a variety of environments to suit the needs of any kind of tourist. Choose between mountains, waterfalls, lakes, beaches and forest when you want to take a break from the bustling city of Accra.
Transportation in Accra is not as advanced as Europe or the U.S., but there are buses and private tour guides who can assist you to your destinations. Luckily, Ghana's tourism industry is a main staple in the country and even easy to manage as a solo traveler. Here's a short itinerary for Ghana from our EIC, after reading this list, purchase our Travel Planner and Journal to accompany you on your solo or group trip.
10 Places to Visit in Ghana Outside of Accra
10 Places to Visit in Ghana Outside of Accra
Lake Volta in Akosombo, Ghana
Akosombo is a town surrounding one of the largest man-made lakes and the Akosombo Dam. Lake Volta has many attractions including a momentous canopy walk, boat rides, jet skiing and hotel resorts with special ameninites.Bunso Eco Park in Volta Region
Another attraction in the Volta Region of Ghana is Bunso Eco Park, great for those seeking a less strenuous adventure. The nature park features a zipline, canopy walk, and horse riding.Red Clay Studio in Tamale, Ghana
Tamale Ghana is in the Northern Region of the country. Red Clay Studio is a compound created by artist curator, Ibrahim Mahama. Features museums, creative classrooms, compound tours and more!
Wli Falls in Volta, Ghana
Waterfalls can be found in a few regions all over Ghana, but if you're spending time in Volta, take a swim at Wli Falls, the largest waterfall in the country. Rainy season is always a better time to visit waterfalls so the water can be full during your trip. This waterfall can also be seen from Togo.Tsenku Waterfalls in Dodowa, Ghana
Dodowa is a town just in the mountains areas of upper Accra into Eastern Region. Tsenku Waterfalls is also popular for private massages and one of the closer waterfalls for those staying in Accra planning a day trip.Mole National Park in Savannah Region, Ghana
The ultimate safari experience in Ghana is Mole National Park if you're visiting Tamale and Northern Region towns. During dry season, December through March, Elephants are expected to be seen but can also be seen during later hot seasons throughout the year.Safari Valley Resort in Aburi, Eastern Region
Safari Valley Resort is a luxury eco-resort in the mountains in Eastern Region about 1.5 hours from Accra. A restaurant, animal safari experience, golf course and lodging available.Aqua Safari Resort in Ada Foah, Ghana
Aqua Safari is another luxury eco-resort near the coastal area. Ada Foah is a town on the southeast coast of Ghana, where the Volta River meets the Atlantic Ocean. The town is located along the Volta River, off of the Accra-Aflao motorway heading towards the Togo border.Busua Beach Resort in Western Region, Ghana
Busua beach town west of the Cape Coast and Elmina historical slave dungeons. A plethora of beach resorts in Busua can be booked out during festival seasons (Asabaako) and also popular for surf clubs.Shea Butter Village in Tamale, Ghana
If you take a plane to Tamale, you can bypass the road trip that would take 10+ hours. If you want an interactive experience, learn how to make shea butter at Hamamat's shea butter village and meet the women who make it.
Written by Nakira G.
July 11, 2024
Keywords: Ghana, travel, Accra, Volta, beaches, tourism, heritage, adventure, Africa, diaspora, real estate, land
List of African & Diaspora Businesses or organizations in Ghana
List of African & Diaspora Businesses or organizations in Ghana
real estate
non profit organizations
restaurants
fashion
1. complex department (ghanaian owned)
2. free the youth (ghanaian owned)
111 liberation rd, accra, ghana www.freetheyouth.net
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