The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts has launched a renewed national effort to recover Ghana’s looted cultural heritage, taking bold steps to reclaim sacred artefacts stolen during the colonial era.
As part of this initiative, the ministry has established a dedicated focal team on restitution and reparation, underscoring its commitment to restoring the nation’s identity, dignity, and historical legacy.
Sector Minister Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie stressed that this mission goes beyond retrieving artefacts—it is about reviving Ghana’s collective memory and reconnecting generations through cultural pride.
“The youth must understand that you cannot look forward without knowing where you are coming from,” she noted. “The return of these artefacts is a bridge linking our past to our future.”
Madam Gomashie described the effort as both a cultural and moral responsibility, lamenting the prolonged absence of symbolic objects that were taken from Ghana and currently reside in foreign institutions due to colonial exploitation.
Professor Kojo Gavua, a respected archaeologist from the University of Ghana, shared updates on the team’s groundwork, which includes regional workshops and public education sessions in Cape Coast, Bolgatanga, Ho, and a major international workshop in Accra.
He highlighted recent diplomatic progress:
- The Durban Museum in South Africa has agreed to return two Asante artefacts—a traditional stool and a shrine figure.
- The Fowler Museum in the United States has already repatriated a gold item and expressed willingness to return more.
- The National Museum of the Netherlands has submitted a catalog of Ghanaian-origin artefacts for review.
- Ghana is also actively involved in a German policy committee that is revising guidelines on the return of looted cultural property, with a focus on items taken from Kpando.
UNESCO representative Mr. Carl Ampah applauded Ghana’s leadership in ratifying global conventions that combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property. These frameworks, he said, strengthen Ghana’s legal ability to request the formal return of its heritage.
The newly formed focal team—led by Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie—includes experts and representatives from multiple institutions:
- Prof. Kojo Gavua and Prof. Wazi Apoh – University of Ghana
- Mr. Mohammed Seidu – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Mrs. Daphne Akonor – Attorney General’s Department
- Mr. Richard Obeng Boafo – Ministry of Local Government
- Dr. Aba Mansa Eyifa-Dzidzienyo – University of Ghana
- Mr. Edmond Moukala – UNESCO
- Mr. Kwesi Essel Blankson – Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB)
- Mr. Divine Kwame Owusu Ansah – Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts
This multidisciplinary team will spearhead the identification, documentation, and negotiation for the return of sacred regalia and historical artefacts taken during the colonial period.
Their work supports broader demands for reparative justice and seeks to heal historical wounds caused by the loss of cultural property. Backed by international institutions such as UNESCO, ECOWAS, and the African Union, Ghana’s intensified restitution campaign contributes to a growing continental movement to reclaim Africa’s stolen heritage.