The convenor of the Nkrumah Fest (Kwame Nkrumah Festival), Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has issued a rallying call to Ghanaians, Africans, and believers in Pan-Africanism to join the 2025 edition slated for September.
Speaking at the launch of this year’s edition, dubbed “Journey to Nkroful,” on Saturday, August 2, 2025, Armah-Kofi Buah, who is the Member of Parliament for Ellembelle and the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, emphasized the enduring legacy of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah in the fight for Ghana’s independence and the liberation of the African continent from imperialism.
“We are gathered beneath the towering presence of this sacred mausoleum, not only to remember but also to reignite the fire of a dream that once set a continent ablaze with hope.
“This annual celebration of Ghana’s founder has been a key priority in my routines as a politician, and I am glad that, in our shared appreciation of the great Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, whose name is not only etched in stone but woven into the very soul of our nation, we can stand on his shoulders and celebrate him,” he said.
The minister underscored Nkrumah’s transformative vision, which led to the birth of Ghana on March 6, 1957, as a beacon of hope for Africa.
He noted that Nkrumah’s legacy is evident in the nation’s infrastructure, including schools, factories, the Akosombo Dam, roads, hospitals, and industries.
“Today, his legacy lives in the roads we travel, the hospitals that heal us, the industries that sustain us, and most importantly, in the spirit of every Ghanaian who dares to dream,” Buah said.
Under the theme “Celebrating Nkrumah’s Enduring Impact,” the 2025 Nkrumah Fest, a week-long event, is set to culminate in a pilgrimage to Nkroful, Nkrumah’s birthplace, on September 21, 2025, to mark his 116th birthday.
“Next month, we will walk the paths he once walked, stand beneath the skies that once filled his young mind with visions of freedom, and gather in his birthplace to mark his 116th birthday.
“As we launch NKRUMAHFEST 2025, under the theme ‘Celebrating Nkrumah’s Enduring Impact,’ we do not merely commemorate history—we invoke its spirit. This is not just about honoring the past. It is about reclaiming the future he fought for—a future of unity, dignity, and unshakable self-determination,” the minister said.
On his role as the Member of Parliament for the hometown of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and the convenor of the festival initiated to keep his legacy alive, Armah-Kofi Buah described it as a sacred duty and not a burden.
“As the Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, the land that cradled Osagyefo, I carry this legacy not as a burden but as a sacred trust.
“I walk in the shadows of great giants like my grand-uncle, Anaman, who stood beside Nkrumah as a confidant. Through his stories, I learned that Nkrumah’s power was not in his title but in his sacrifice—his willingness to give everything for Mother Ghana and the African continent. That is the spirit we must rekindle!” he stated.
Announcing events planned for the 2025 Nkrumah Fest, the convenor listed a series of engaging, inspiring, and educational programs to be hosted in Nkroful, with the final three days, from September 20 to 22, climaxing the celebration.
The launch event, held at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum, was attended by several dignitaries, including traditional leaders, ministers, parliamentarians, Nkrumahists, and Africans in the diaspora.
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Dzifa Abla Gomashie, affirmed the commitment of her ministry and the government of President John Dramani Mahama to keeping the legacy of Ghana’s first president alive.
She noted Dr Nkrumah’s global recognition while expressing personal delight about her ministry’s involvement in the organization of the 2025 Nkrumah Fest.
Some of the dignitaries at the launch included the Paramount Chief of Essikado Traditional Area, Nana Kobina Nketsia IV; historian and legal practitioner, Yaw Anokye Frimpong; CEO of the Ghana Tourism Development Company, Prof. Kobby Mensah; Deputy CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Gilbert Aggrey (Abeiku Santana); and veteran journalist Kwesi Pratt, among others.
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