Call for GH¢500 Note to Honour Dr Kwame Nkrumah on His 116th Birthday
The government is being urged to introduce a GH¢500 currency note featuring the portrait of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, in recognition of his immense contributions to Ghana’s development, Africa’s liberation, and global progress.
Dr Dee Otibu-Asare, founder of the Nkrumah Vision Alive Movement—a group dedicated to promoting the legacy, philosophy, and vision of Ghana’s first President—made the call in a statement issued in Accra to mark Dr Nkrumah’s 116th birthday.
According to Dr Otibu-Asare, Dr Nkrumah’s ideals and policies remain deeply relevant, not just to Ghana but across Africa and the wider world. “The best way to truly honour Nkrumah,” he stated, “is to implement his vision and policies, many of which still hold the key to national development today.”
He appealed to the government to consider the following actions as part of a broader effort to preserve and celebrate Dr Nkrumah’s legacy:
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Introduce a GH¢500 note bearing Nkrumah’s image as a national symbol of respect.
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Include Nkrumah’s philosophy and ideology in school curricula to educate young Ghanaians about his values and ideas.
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Revive the Young Pioneers programme to help instil patriotism, discipline, and moral responsibility among the youth.
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Encourage historians and writers to produce more literature on Nkrumah, and reprint important books that were destroyed after his 1966 overthrow.
Dr Otibu-Asare also urged the government to link its current Feed Ghana initiative with Nkrumah’s state farms policy. According to him, doing so could ensure food security, reduce poverty, provide jobs—especially for young people—and help improve rural infrastructure and living conditions. It would also help cut down on food imports such as rice and poultry, he noted.
“Dr Nkrumah led Ghana to independence in 1957 and laid a strong foundation for national development,” he said. “His achievements, from the Akosombo Dam and the Accra-Tema Motorway to the creation of secondary schools, KNUST, and the University of Ghana, are still felt today.”
He also highlighted Dr Nkrumah’s lasting influence through his Pan-African vision. “We must remind ourselves and future leaders of his message: ‘The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked with the total liberation of Africa.’ That message is as powerful now as it was then,” he said.
Dr Otibu-Asare, who is also the Publisher of West Africa International Magazine, pointed out that Dr Nkrumah continues to enjoy admiration even among generations too young to have lived during his presidency. He recalled that in a BBC survey conducted across the continent, Dr Nkrumah was voted African of the Millennium—a testament to his enduring legacy.
“These values, achievements, and ideals should not be lost or distorted,” he concluded. “They should be preserved, enhanced, and passed on to future generations.”
