Memorial Park Proposes Nkrumah Photo on Ghana Banknotes

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The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park has formally proposed that the Bank of Ghana replace the image of the Big Six on selected cedi banknotes with the iconic photograph of Kwame Nkrumah declaring Ghana’s independence on March 6, 1957.

The suggestion comes as the country prepares to mark the 70th anniversary of its independence in 2027 and follows the central bank’s recent introduction of a redesigned Heritage Series of banknotes.

In a press statement issued on November 6, 2026, the management of the Memorial Park argued that while the Big Six made significant contributions to Ghana’s independence struggle, the national currency should also reflect other defining moments in the country’s history. The Park believes the historic photograph of Nkrumah announcing independence captures one of the most pivotal events in Ghana’s past and deserves a place on selected denominations.

The Big Six-Kwame Nkrumah, Joseph Boakye Danquah, Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey, William Ofori Atta and Edward Akufo-Addo were prominent leaders of the United Gold Coast Convention and central figures in the campaign that led to independence from British colonial rule.

Their collective portrait has long featured on the front of Ghana’s banknotes. The Memorial Park maintains that this representation, while important, need not be the sole depiction of the independence era on the currency.

“The Independence Declaration photograph captures the culmination of Ghana’s independence struggle and the historic moment our nation broke free from colonial rule,” the statement said. Park officials described the image as a powerful symbol not only of Ghana’s sovereignty but also of the broader African liberation movement.

They argued that including it on selected notes would broaden the historical narrative told through the country’s money while still honouring the contributions of the Big Six.

The proposal arrives shortly after the Bank of Ghana launched or announced its Heritage Series of redesigned banknotes. The new series covers the existing denominations from GH¢1 to GH¢200 and is intended to modernise the currency with enhanced security features, greater durability and designs that reflect Ghanaian heritage and national identity.

Existing notes will continue to circulate as legal tender alongside the new ones. The timing of the Memorial Park’s request appears deliberate, positioning the independence declaration image as a potential element within the broader heritage theme.

Ghana became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence from a European colonial power on March 6, 1957. The 70th anniversary in 2027 is expected to be a major national milestone, with official commemorations planned across the country. The Memorial Park, which preserves Nkrumah’s legacy and serves as a key historical site in Accra, sees the currency change as a fitting tribute that would keep a foundational moment visible to future generations of Ghanaians in their everyday transactions.

The statement was signed by Dr Collins Rawlings Nunyonameh, Acting Executive Director of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. Officials emphasised that the suggestion is not intended to diminish the role of the other members of the Big Six. Instead, they framed it as an opportunity to diversify the historical moments represented on the currency and to ensure that the specific act of declaring independence receives distinct recognition.

Currency design has long been a sensitive and symbolic matter in Ghana. Previous series have featured individual portraits of Nkrumah on certain notes, while the more recent designs have emphasised the collective image of the Big Six. The Memorial Park’s proposal seeks a middle path by advocating for the independence declaration photograph on only selected denominations rather than a wholesale replacement across the entire series.

As of the statement’s release, the Bank of Ghana had not issued a public response. Any decision would ultimately rest with the central bank, which holds responsibility for currency design and issuance. The Heritage Series provides a natural window for considering such changes, given its focus on national history and identity.

Supporters of the idea view it as a way to highlight Nkrumah’s central role in the final stage of the independence process and to give visual prominence to a single, emotionally powerful image that many Ghanaians associate with the birth of the nation. The photograph, showing Nkrumah and others with raised hands at the declaration ceremony, remains one of the most recognisable images from that era.

The discussion also touches on broader questions about how a nation chooses to remember its founding. By placing historical imagery on banknotes that pass through millions of hands daily, countries embed certain narratives into everyday life. The Memorial Park’s intervention seeks to expand that narrative at a moment when Ghana is both modernising its currency and preparing for a major anniversary.

For now, the request has drawn attention to the relationship between national symbols, historical memory and the design of money. As Ghana approaches its 70th year of independence, the conversation about what images best represent that achievement is likely to continue.

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