Ghana’s “Year Of Return” was declared in September 2018, by Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo. The president spoke out saying, “We know of the extraordinary achievements and contributions they [Africans in the diaspora] made to the lives of the Americans, and it is important that this symbolic year—400 years later—we commemorate their existence and their sacrifices.”
Ghana was a major hub for the transatlantic slave trade from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
Ghana’s parliament passed a Citizenship Act in 2000 to make provision for dual citizenship, meaning that people of Ghanaian origin who have acquired citizenship abroad can take up Ghanaian citizenship if they so desire.
The African-American community is excited about President Akufo-Addo’s latest initiative. In social media posts, many expressed interest in visiting Africa for the first time. Among them is Amber Walker, a media practitioner who says that 2019 is the time to visit her ancestral home.
Amber was not alone. Many African American celebrities like Ludacris, Cardi B , Beyonce and Jay Z, T.I and Tiny, Rick Ross and many more have gone back to Africa to enjoy their roots.
According to @werepgh a total of 1.9 billion has been generated into the economy through activities related to the “Year Of Return”.
“The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, said the “Year of Return” programme had also brought about an increase of over 200,000 in total arrivals into the country.
She said total arrivals in the country this year stood at about 750,000.
Mrs Oteng-Gyasi was speaking at a ceremony at Anomabo to inaugurate a tourist centre and hand over facilities at the Heroes Garden which has been transformed into a Memorial Garden of Return to boost tourism in the town.
Before the refurbishment exercise, the Heroes Garden had portrait statues of Kwegyir Aggrey, Ekem Ferguson and Nana Amonoo I of Anomabo and now has in addition symbolic statues of people of the African diaspora returning “home”. The tourist centre will serve as an information centre and provide a welcoming environment for tourists.
Mrs Oteng-Gyasi said the government was working hard to ensure that the country derived optimum benefits from the sector to accelerate development of Anomabo and indeed the country at large.”
