Ghana has become the focal point of a renewed African effort to reshape how the continent’s cultural and historical heritage is understood. Experts, policymakers and international partners gathered in Accra for the Regional Workshop on the Interpretation of World Heritage in Africa, a major initiative aimed at redefining Africa’s narrative on the global stage.
Opening the week-long workshop on Monday, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, urged African nations to take full control of their stories. She stressed that heritage interpretation must shift to reflect the lived realities, voices and identities of African communities.
“We must be in charge of our own narrative,” she told participants. “Until the lion learns to write, the story will always glorify the hunter.”
The workshop brought together site managers, cultural specialists and institutional representatives from across the continent. It is being organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts in partnership with the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, the African World Heritage Fund, WHIPIC, the Ghana Commission for UNESCO and UNESCO Accra, with support from the Korea Heritage Service.
Speaking on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, Gomashie said the gathering reflects Ghana’s ongoing commitment to cultural preservation and capacity-building across Africa. She emphasized that heritage interpretation must go beyond dates and historical timelines, and instead centre people, communities and their stories.
She also highlighted Ghana’s recent inscription of the Amphitheatre textile tradition on the UNESCO World Heritage List, describing it as a milestone that reinforces the need for interpretation grounded in authenticity and local leadership.
In his remarks, the Deputy Director-General of WHIPIC, Mr. Heung Nyeon Kim, praised Ghana’s hospitality. Experiencing Africa for the first time, he said he witnessed its creativity and cultural depth firsthand. He reaffirmed WHIPIC’s dedication to collaborating with African experts to strengthen inclusive and community-driven interpretation models.
The Executive Director of the African World Heritage Fund, Dr. Albino Jopela, underscored the urgent need to reshape global understanding of African heritage. Although Africa is the birthplace of humanity and home to vast cultural landscapes, he noted that only 154 of more than 1,200 World Heritage Sites worldwide are located on the continent—and many still carry colonial-era interpretations that overlook or distort African perspectives.
“Re-thinking interpretation must not be seen as secondary; it is central to why we, as Africans, should care about these sites,” Dr. Jopela said.
Officials from UNESCO and the Ghana Commission for UNESCO also stressed the workshop’s role in strengthening Africa’s representation in the global cultural heritage space. Over the coming days, participants will engage in technical sessions aligned with UNESCO’s Culture 2030 Indicators, covering education, tourism, community empowerment, interpretation practices and sustainable site management.
The workshop will conclude with actionable recommendations designed to enhance heritage interpretation, preserve authenticity and reinforce the role of cultural heritage in shaping Africa’s identity and development agenda.