Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was a Ghanaian politician and revolutionary born on the 21st of September 1909. He was the first prime minister and President of Ghana having led it to independence from Britain in 1957. He was an influential advocate of pan Africanism and a founding member of the organization of African Unity and winner of the Lenin Peace Prize in 1962.
After twelve years abroad pursuing higher education, developing his political philosophy, and organizing with other diasporic pan-Africanists, Nkrumah returned to Gold Coast to begin his political career as an advocate of national independence. He formed the Convention People’s Party, which achieved rapid success through its unprecedented appeal to the common voter. He became prime minister in 1952 and retained this position when Ghana declared independence from Britain in 1957.
In 1960, Ghanaians approved the new constitution and he was elected as president.
His administration was both socialist and nationalist. Thus it funded national, industrial and energy projects, developed a strong national education system, and promoted a national (and pan-African) culture. Under Nkrumah.
He was deposed in 1966 by the National Liberation Movement which, under the supervision of international financial institutions, made many of the country’s state corporations private. Nkrumah lived the rest of his life in Guinea, of which he was named honorary co-president.
by:Ruby Inusah
