The government and the W. E. B. Du Bois Museum Foundation USA are yet to reach an agreed workable plan for the reconstruction of the W. E. B. Du Bois Memorial Center, after an agreement was signed on September 20, 2021, between the two parties.
On July 4, 2023, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo commissioned the redeveloped Nkrumah Memorial Park, which cost $3.5 million.
During the unveiling of the memorial park, President Akufo-Addo emphasized the government’s commitment to investing in the tourism sector.
The W. E. B. Du Bois Memorial Center for Pan-African Culture is about to undergo a transformation since it’s commissioning in 1985.
The government and the W. E. B. Du Bois Museum Foundation (USA-Ghana) signed an agreement authorizing the foundation to redevelop the W. E. B. Du Bois Memorial Center in Accra.
The museum, which holds the mortal remains of Dr Du Bois and his widow Shirley Graham Du Bois, will be transformed into a significant museum complex serving Ghana, the Black diaspora, and the world.
Under this partnership, the Du Bois Museum Foundation Ghana will lead the construction of a multi-million-dollar Museum Complex over a 50-year period, aimed at preserving Dr. Du Bois’ legacy.
The agreement was signed by the Minister of Tourism, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, and the Executive Director of the Du Bois Memorial Foundation.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, the agreement is still pending completion before execution. Mr. Geoffrey Tamaklo, Director of PPME at the Ministry, in an interview with Citi News said, “The agreement is a public-private partnership. However, with further review with the Attorney-General’s office and the PPP office at the Ministry of Finance. They noticed that what they intended to do would not fit into a PPP arrangement. So it’s going to be a simple private partnership agreement”.
He explained that the day-to-day management would be in the hands of a management team which would be constituted.
Administrative Assistant for the W. E. B. Du Bois Museum Foundation, Grace Asiam, said once the project is completed, the complex will serve as a historic memorial site, where visitors can pay tribute to Dr. Du Bois’ life and legacy, reconnect with their cultural roots, and inspire solidarity among people of African descent.
The foundation aims to transform the centre into a living museum that renews Dr Du Bois’ transformative spirit and vision, providing a unified ancestral home for Africans in the diaspora worldwide.
Renowned Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye has been appointed as the architect for the expanded Museum complex.
The centrepiece of the complex will be the W. E. B. and Shirley Graham Du Bois Memorial Pavilion, which will house the shrine and mortal remains of Dr Du Bois and the ashes of Shirley Graham Du Bois.
Another important structure to be restored is the bungalow where Dr and Mrs Du Bois lived and worked. Additional structures include an institute building for the museum and library, an outdoor auditorium, a retail pavilion, and the renovated Marcus Garvey Guest House for visiting scholars.
The groundbreaking for the project is scheduled for 2023, with completion and dedication expected in 2024. Dr Du Bois, a civil rights pioneer and one of the world’s foremost black intellectuals and thinkers, became a citizen of Ghana and resided in the country until his death in 1963.
