Ghana moves to reclaim Nkrumah’s Guinea home

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says President John Dramani Mahama has directed talks to secure Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah’s former residence in Guinea.

Mr. Ablakwa explained that negotiations have begun with the family of Guinea’s first President, Ahmed Sékou Touré, to allow Ghana take possession of the house where Nkrumah lived and worked as Co-President of Guinea during his final years in exile.

According to the minister, the Mahama administration plans to renovate and preserve the property as both a historical monument and a symbol of respect for Ghana’s founding leader.

He said the initiative is aimed at safeguarding Nkrumah’s legacy while expanding heritage tourism beyond Ghana’s borders.

He noted that the restored residence would offer visitors a more complete narrative of Nkrumah’s political journey, enabling tourists to trace his life from Ghana to Guinea and better understand his Pan-African vision.

“This landmark decision was conveyed to the Sékou Touré family on Saturday when Vice President, H.E. Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang led us to visit the Sékou Touré family and also tour Nkrumah’s abandoned home after the investiture of President Mamady Doumbouya,” Mr. Ablakwa wrote on his X page.

He said the Ghanaian delegation was warmly received by members of the Sékou Touré family spanning three generations, led by the eldest son of the late Guinean leader.

The visit, he added, underscored the enduring historical ties between Ghana and Guinea forged during the independence era.

Outlining the next steps, the Foreign Affairs Minister stressed that technical and legal work is already underway to ensure the project meets international preservation standards.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is negotiating the terms and conditions and engaging preservation experts for this important assignment,” he stated.

Mr. Ablakwa also sought to assure the public that the process would be open and accountable, given the national significance of the project.

“In the spirit of transparency and accountability, the Ghanaian public shall be fully apprised at every stage. Nkrumah never dies,” he said.

Nkrumah was welcomed into Guinea by President Sékou Touré after his overthrow in 1966 and was later appointed Co-President, a rare political gesture that symbolised African solidarity.

Ghanaian officials believe preserving his Guinean residence will deepen historical consciousness and strengthen cultural diplomacy between the two countries.