The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Maame Efua Houadjeto, has paid glowing tribute to Pan-African icons like W.E.B Du Bois, George Padmore and Ghana’s first president Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, among other forebear greats, describing their enduring legacy in the fight for a free and united Africa as heroic.
Speaking at a wreath-laying ceremony to mark this year’s PANAFEST and Emancipation Day celebrations on Wednesday July 23, 2025, the CEO of Ghana tourism Authority honored the giants who paved the way for future generations.
“These were men who dared to dream of a free and united Africa, paying a huge price, and they would never die in our sights for what they did for us.”
Reaffirming the commitment to the ideals these icons lived for, Maame Efua Houadjeto highlighted the importance of unity and strength in the face of adversity.
“As we lay wreaths at their feet, we reaffirm our commitment to the ideals they lived for, immerse ourselves in a timeless dialogue between the past and the present, the living and the departed, and the motherland and the diaspora.”
The event brought together leaders, creatives, diaspora delegates, and cultural thinkers to pay tribute to the legacy of Pan-African pioneers, and serving as a platform for African leaders to raise their voice for justice, healing, and collaboration among African and diaspora communities, while demanding reparation justice for what many described as injustices perpetrated by the heinous Trans-Atlantic slave trade on Africans
On her part, the Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts (MoTCCA), Abla Dzifa Gomashie, reaffirmed her commitment to defending African identity and promoting cultural pride and emphasized the importance of standing up for African heritage.
She also highlighted the significance of resisting intimidation and humiliation of African languages, cultures, and tribes, while announcing the “AfroGhastro Culinary Festival”, which is scheduled for September 15, 2025under the Black Star Experience initiative, to foster unity and cultural exchange on the continent of Africa.
The festival also aims to promote culinary diplomacy, where embassies, chefs, and creatives from Africa and the diaspora will showcase traditional foods and drinks.
“I pledge to speak up, stand up, and stand out as an African, to defend my Africanness anywhere, everywhere, and every day, fearlessly with pride and conviction. I resist intimidation and humiliation of my language, my culture, my tribe, it in my mind and in everything I do.”
“We are inviting embassies and all of you to come and cook what we have in common, prepared differently, tasted together, because food breaks barriers. You do not need to speak the same language to understand a dish,” she said.
“It is to serve as a platform for culinary diplomacy, where embassies, chefs, and creatives from across Africa and the diaspora will showcase traditional foods and drinks to spark conversations around identity, unity, and pride.”
The Wreath-Laying ceremony served as a sharp reminder of the Pan-African forebears’ vision, which continues to inspire generations today and the generations yet unborn. Wreaths were laid at memorable places like W.E.B Du Bois Centre, George Padmore Library and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
The ceremony was part of the PANAFEST and Emancipation Day celebrations, themed “Let Us Speak of Reparative Justice – Pan-African Artistic Activism”.
