The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has welcomed plans to undertake a major $200 million redevelopment of the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Culture in Accra, describing the project as a landmark investment that will deepen Pan-African unity and preserve a critical chapter of African and African-diaspora history.
The endorsement follows a formal announcement made on 9 February by the management of the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre, which unveiled detailed plans to renovate and expand the historic site. The redevelopment is scheduled to commence on 1 April 2026 and will involve extensive structural upgrades, new facilities, and expanded programming aimed at repositioning the centre as a world-class destination for Pan-African scholarship and cultural exchange.
According to the centre’s management, the project will transform the existing complex into a modern research, education, tourism and heritage hub, capable of hosting international conferences, academic residencies, exhibitions and cultural events linked to Pan-Africanism and African history.
Speaking to journalists after the announcement, Speaker Bagbin said the scale and ambition of the project reflected the importance of W.E.B. Du Bois not only to Ghana, but to people of African descent around the world. He described the redevelopment as both timely and necessary, given the growing global interest in Pan-African identity, reparative justice and African cultural heritage.
“It is a huge task. It is not going to be easy,” Bagbin said. “But I can tell you that when this project is completed, it will become the world centre of Pan-Africanism. Everybody knows that the founding father of Pan-Africanism is W.E.B. Du Bois. Nobody doubts that.”
The W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre occupies a unique place in Ghana’s national and Pan-African history. It serves as the final resting place of Dr. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, the renowned African-American scholar, civil rights activist, author and political thinker who spent his final years in Ghana at the invitation of Kwame Nkrumah, the country’s first president.
Du Bois became a Ghanaian citizen before his death in 1963 and is widely regarded as one of the most influential architects of Pan-African thought, advocating unity among Africans on the continent and in the diaspora. The centre, located in Accra’s Cantonments area, has since become a pilgrimage site for academics, activists, students and tourists from Africa, the Americas and Europe.
Over the years, however, concerns have been raised about the condition of the facility and its ability to meet international standards for research and heritage preservation. The proposed redevelopment is expected to address these challenges by upgrading infrastructure, improving visitor experience, digitising archives and expanding educational outreach.
Bagbin stressed that while the $200 million price tag is substantial, the long-term value of the investment cannot be measured purely in financial terms. He argued that the project would strengthen Ghana’s position as a centre of Pan-African thought, boost cultural tourism, and create opportunities for learning and dialogue across generations.
“The investment that is to be put inside here is measureless,” he said. “This is not just about buildings. It is about ideas, identity, history and our connection to the rest of the African world.”
The Speaker also called on Ghanaians to support the initiative and encouraged close collaboration between the centre’s foundation, government institutions and other stakeholders to ensure the project’s success.
“We need to thank the foundation for bringing this forward, and we must encourage and support government to make it happen as soon as possible,” Bagbin said.
Once completed, the upgraded Du Bois Centre is expected to play a central role in advancing Pan-African education, strengthening ties between Africa and its diaspora, and preserving the intellectual legacy of one of the most influential figures in modern African history.
Source: Africa Publicity
