NkrumahFest 2026 launched with call to revive Kwame Nkrumah’s Pan-African vision

Dorcas Agambila 08:44 - 01 August 2026

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The 2026 edition of NkrumahFest has officially been launched in Accra, with organisers calling on Ghanaians to reconnect with the Pan-African vision and ideals of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

The launch was held at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park on Friday ahead of the week-long celebration scheduled for September 14 to 21, 2026, in Nkroful, the birthplace of Dr Nkrumah in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.

The festival, themed “Nkrumah @ 117: Celebrating His Enduring Legacy – Africa Must Unite or Perish”, will also commemorate 60 years since Dr Nkrumah was overthrown in the 1966 military coup.

The initiative was announced by Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Member of Parliament for Ellembelle and Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, who is credited with establishing NkrumahFest.

Addressing guests at the launch, Mr Armah-Kofi Buah said the festival was intended to move beyond commemorating Dr Nkrumah and instead encourage a renewed commitment to the principles he championed.

He said;

We gather today beneath the towering presence of this sacred mausoleum as living torchbearers of a vision that refuses to die

He described the festival as the beginning of a broader movement aimed at reviving the ideals associated with Ghana’s first President.

He stated;

Let me state clearly why we are here. We are here to launch a movement. We are here to rekindle a revolution. We are here to declare that the dream Dr Kwame Nkrumah planted in the soil of Nkroful is not a relic of the past – it is the blueprint for our future

According to the Minister, the 2026 programme will feature lectures, cultural performances, community engagements and activities designed to encourage reflection on Dr Nkrumah’s contribution to Ghana and Africa.

He said the objective was not simply to remember the late statesman but to encourage present and future generations to apply his principles to contemporary challenges.

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Speaking about this year’s theme, Mr Armah-Kofi Buah described the call for African unity as an urgent necessity rather than a historical slogan.

He said;

Let us pause and sit with that theme. It is a summons. It is not a suggestion. ‘Africa Must Unite or Perish’ – these were not the idle words of a dreamer. These were the urgent words of a statesman who saw the future with terrifying clarity

He argued that Dr Nkrumah recognised the importance of African unity at a time when the continent was emerging from colonial rule.

He said;

Why must Africa unite? Because division is the weapon of the oppressor. Because a continent divided cannot negotiate from a position of strength

Mr Armah-Kofi Buah added that issues such as climate change, economic instability and what he described as new forms of neo-colonialism had made the question of continental unity even more significant.

He added;

Today, as we face climate change, economic instability, and new forms of neo-colonialism, the call for unity is not just political – it is existential,

He further challenged Ghanaians to view Dr Nkrumah’s legacy as a responsibility rather than simply a historical achievement.

“Nkrumah’s legacy is not a monument to be admired but a mandate to be fulfilled. To celebrate Nkrumah’s enduring legacy is not to place wreaths at his feet while ignoring the foundations he laid. It is to build upon those foundations,” he stated.

Mr Armah-Kofi Buah also encouraged Ghanaians in the country and the diaspora to make the trip to Nkroful during the festival.

The launch attracted several political, traditional and public figures, including Majority Leader of Parliament Mahama Ayariga; Evalue Gwira, MP; Kofi Arko Nokoe, MP for Amenfi East; Kukua Bissue, MP for Ahanta West; Nicolas Amankwah; Ghana’s Special Envoy to the Caribbean Region, H.E. King Kwasi Kyei Dankwa; and Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr.

Also present were Sekou Nkrumah and Samia Yaba Nkrumah, children of the late Osagyefo.

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Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr praised Mr Armah-Kofi Buah for establishing NkrumahFest and using the initiative to draw attention to Nkroful and the wider Western Region.

He said;

I want to pay special tribute to Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah. He has done extremely well. He has opened the path to Nkroful again, not just Nkroful but to the whole of the Western Region

The veteran journalist also called for greater investment in the region, arguing that the Western Region had made significant contributions to Ghana’s political and economic development.

He said;

I’m very deeply worried that the people of Western Region also deserve a fair share of the national cake. Why? They gave us Dr Kwame Nkrumah, not just Kwame Nkrumah but Paa Grant and so many leaders of this country

He added that the region had also contributed significantly to Ghana’s natural resource wealth and therefore deserved greater development.

Nana Kwasi Kutuah V, Divisional Chief of Nkroful, also commended Mr Armah-Kofi Buah for the initiative and urged Ghanaians to participate in the September celebration.

Describing NkrumahFest as a pilgrimage for Ghanaians, the chief said the event should provide an opportunity to honour Dr Nkrumah while also discussing the development of Nkroful and the wider Nzema area.

“I want to invite all of you to join us to honour Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah. NkrumahFest is a pilgrimage for all Ghanaians and I’m inviting everybody to be at Nkroful to celebrate the life of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and think about the development of Nkroful and Nzema as a whole,” he said.

The District Chief Executive for Ellembelle, Joseph Agyekum, who attended the launch, also praised the initiative.

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He disclosed that plans were underway to establish a district hospital at Nkroful as part of efforts to honour Dr Nkrumah and improve healthcare delivery in the area.

Beyond its historical and cultural objectives, organisers expect NkrumahFest to generate economic opportunities for businesses and residents in the Ellembelle District.

They pointed to last year’s festival, which reportedly resulted in increased hotel bookings and patronage for commercial transport operators, including drivers and Okada riders.

The organisers also highlighted the refurbishment of Dr Nkrumah’s museum at Nkroful as part of efforts to improve the area’s heritage tourism potential.

Mr Armah-Kofi Buah further announced plans to connect NkrumahFest 2026 with EcoFest 2026 as part of a broader strategy to promote tourism and Ghana’s cultural heritage.

Declaring the festival officially launched, he called on Ghanaians to join the journey to Nkroful in September.

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