The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts is taking bold steps to reclaim the country’s stolen cultural heritage.
The ministry has launched a focal team dedicated to restitution and reparation efforts, signalling a renewed commitment to restoring national identity and cultural pride.
Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie highlighted the significance of this initiative, emphasising that it’s not just about retrieving artefacts but about reviving Ghana’s history, identity, and dignity.
“The youth must understand that you cannot look forward without knowing where you are coming from,” she stated, affirming that the recovery of artefacts provides a bridge across generations, linking Ghana’s past with its present and future.
She pointed out the broader significance of the initiative, calling it a “cultural and moral commitment,” bemoaning the long-standing absence of sacred and symbolic objects in Ghana, many of which remain in foreign institutions because of colonial exploitation.
Professor Kojo Gavua, a renowned archaeologist from the University of Ghana, highlighted the team’s groundwork through regional workshops and public engagement initiatives. These included gatherings in Cape Coast, Bolgatanga, Ho, and a major international workshop in Accra.
According to him, progress has been made with global partners, leading to the Durban Museum in South Africa offering to return two Asante artefacts—a traditional stool and a shrine figure and the Fowler Museum in the United States recently repatriated a gold item and has shown willingness to return more.
The National Museum of the Netherlands has submitted a catalogue of Ghanaian-origin items for consideration as well. He also announced that Ghana is participating in a German committee revising policies around cultural returns, particularly about looted artefacts from Kpando.
UNESCO representative Mr. Carl Ampah praised Ghana’s leadership in ratifying international conventions that prohibit illicit trade in cultural property. He noted that these legal frameworks now empower the country to formally request the return of its heritage.
The focal team was led by Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, sector Minister, Professor Kodzo Gavua, University of Ghana, Mr. Mohammed Seidu, Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Daphne Akonor, Attorney General’s Department, Mr. Richard Obeng Boafo, Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development and Dr. Aba Mansa Eyifa-Dzidzienyo, University of Ghana.
The others are Mr. Edmond Moukala- UNESCO, Mr. Kwesi Essel Blankson, GMMB, Professor Wazi Apoh, University of Ghana and Mr. Divine Kwame Owusu Ansah, MoTCCA, will lead national efforts to identify, document, and negotiate the return of sacred regalia and historic items seized during the colonial era.
Their work aims to support wider calls for reparative justice and address historical wounds left by the loss of cultural property. Drawing from international support—including ECOWAS, the African Union, and UNESCO—Ghana’s renewed drive is part of a broader African movement demanding cultural restitution.
