The World Bank Regional Vice President for the Africa Region, Mr Ousmane Diagana, as part of his six-day duty tour to Ghana, last Monday visited the renovated Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum (KNMPM) in Accra.
Mr Diagana is visiting the country from January 6-12, 2025 to attend the inauguration of the President John Dramani Mahama.
The objective of the visit was to acquaint himself with the operations of the renovated KNMPM where the mortal remains of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and his wife, Fathia Nkrumah, are laid and also learn the history of Ghana’s independence and Nkrumah’s role therein.
World Bank recently provided $3.5 million for the renovation of the Park, which was part of the $40 million, the Bank provided to Ghana under the Ghana Tourism Development Project.
As part of the visit, Mr Diagana was guided through the Park, starting from the reception, through the gallery, mausoleum where the remains of the Dr Nkrumah and his wife are laid, and the Very Important Programme (VVIP) room where he signed the high-level visitors’ guest book in the VVIP waiting room.
Mr Diagana in his remarks after the tour, said the KNMPM was a unique place for Africans and the entire world to “come here to learn from the life, the accomplishment and the legacy of this great leader, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.”
He said the KNMPM was “extremely important for many to learn from the life of this exceptional leader.”
“I am very delighted to have the World Bank actually associated with the expansion and the enhancement of the Museum, which is a unique place for Africans, but beyond Africans to come and learn from the life, the accomplishment and the legacy of this great leader, Dr Kwame Nkrumah,” he stated.
Mr Diagana further indicated that the vision and ideology of Dr Nkrumah would continue to inspire the previous, current and future several generations of Africans, and the world at large, adding that, “It has been really a pleasure, a privilege and an honour to visit the museum of Dr Kwame Nkrumah.”
The Acting Director of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Edward Quao, said the KNMPM was established in 1991 to serve as memorial for the country’s first president who played crucial role for the independence of the country.
He stated that since the establishment of the KNMPM, it had not seen any major renovation.
Mr Quao also said previously, the KNMPM was receiving about 98,000 visitors both local and foreign in a year.
Additionally, he noted that renovation works on the KNMPM began in May 2022 and was completed a year after.
Moreover, he highlighted that since the reopening of the KNMPM in July 2023 by the former President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, visitor numbers to the KNMPM had surged and it averagely receive 208,000 visitors both local and foreign within a year.
Mr Quao said key upgrade to the facility included the construction of the Presidential Library, Freedom Hall, an amphitheatre, an audio visual tunnel, gift shop, and digitalised payment system.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
