Following an extensive rehabilitation project funded by the World Bank in collaboration with the Akufo-Addo-led administration, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial and Mausoleum Park (KNMMP) has recorded a surge in patronage – welcoming about 200,000 visitors every month since its reopening in July 2023.
Mr. Edward Quao highlighted this during a visit to the site by a delegation from the World Bank led by its President for Western and Central Africa – Ousmane Diagana.
“Before 2019, the park received less than 30,000 visitors annually. However, during the Year of Return campaign in 2019 that number surged to 98,000 visitors. The recent rehabilitation project’s impact has been phenomenal. Since July 2023, we’ve been recording nearly 200,000 visitors every single month,” Mr. Quao indicated.
For his part, Mr. Diagana observed that revitalising the park has turned it into a key driver of the country’s tourism sector.
“The surge in visitor numbers demonstrates the success of government and World Bank efforts in preserving cultural heritage while boosting economic growth through tourism,” he added.
The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, is a monument of historic significance in Ghana, dedicated to the memory of the country’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
Since its establishment in 1992, visitors from all over the world numbering up to about 98,000 each year come and pay homage to Ghana’s first President, learn about his life and legacy.
Recognising the important role of tourism in the country’s development – coupled with the fact that after 25 years of existence the facility had not seen any meaningful facelift – former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo secured a US$40million loan facility from the World Bank through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to improve the tourism environment.
The Savannah Region also recorded a surge of tourism in 2024, boosting economic activities and creating jobs. Rehabilitating Mole National Park facilities, the Larabanga Mosque, the Mystery Stone, Salaga Slave Market and its wells made these sites more attractive to tourists and investors.
Data from the Savannah Regional Office of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) show the region welcomed 23,900 tourists in 2024, an increase of 5,740 from the 18,160 recorded in 2023.
Additionally, the 2024 Emancipation Day commissioning of the Salaga Market and Heritage Site has significantly boosted tourism in Salaga. Tourism is Ghana’s third-largest source of foreign exchange earnings after merchandise exports and remittances. This means we should focus on improving it to yield the needed economic dividends.
