Ghana makes history, grants citizenship to 524 Americans

Ghana recently made history after it granted 524 people citizenship, most of whom are Philadelphians, thanks to a campaign asking Black Americans to “come home.”

Hundreds of Black Americans who have immigrated to Ghana in the past years, after Nana Akufo-Addo, Ghana’s president, invited them to ‘come home’ — to leave the many challenges facing African Americans in the United States.

It’s all part of Ghana’s attempt to market this nation of 35 million as a mecca for Black people around the world. The country wants members of the diaspora to not only visit its portion of the continent but to also consider taking up residence and giving back.

“Your presence here is already making a difference,” Akufo-Addo told attendees during the citizenship ceremony in which Keita participated. “You are human bridges connecting us to both sides of the Atlantic.”

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The president referenced the country’s considerable role in facilitating and profiting from slavery — Ghana has been called “the center of the British slave trade,” and from 1500 to 1850, an estimated 12 million Africans were captured and sold.

He spoke about the need for reconciliation and brotherhood and pointed out how the descendants of enslaved Africans had made their way back to the continent as part of a journey of self-discovery.

He encouraged the new citizens to bring their experiences and expertise to help develop Ghana, making it a better place for all.

This move is a significant step towards reunifying Africans on the continent with their brothers and sisters in the diaspora, a vision President Akufo-Addo outlined in Washington DC in 2018.

Henry Quartey, the Minister for the Interior, congratulated the new citizens and advised them to respect and abide by Ghana’s laws and the 1992 Constitution.

This historic swearing-in ceremony forms part of the “Beyond the Return” programme, launched in 2019 to mark 400 years since the first African was taken to America.

The programme aims to reconnect Ghana with its shared heritage and strengthen diaspora engagement.