Ghana is such a beautiful place one can find his or herself. It is the first country in sub-Sahara Africa to gain independence and has been the pioneer in pioneering independence across Africa during the colonial era.
We are therefore going to have a look at some famous people who hail from Ghana or have some roots in Ghana. I know some might be wondering where this country is located.
Ghana is a country that can be found in the West African region with a population of a little over 30 million. What makes the country even interesting is the fact that all the surrounding countries around it, I mean all of her neighbours are French-speaking countries. It is bothered to the North with Burkina Faso and to the west with Ivory Coast while to the East is Togo. Its South is the Gulf of Guinea.
The country can boast of lots of natural resources as it produces one of the finest cocoas in the world. Most of the chocolate companies can attest to that. But as stated early on, we are going to have a look at some of the famous people from Ghana.
Let begin;
Anthony William Amo
The name Anthony William Amo or Anton William Amo is one name synonymous with philosophy. He was the first African to get a degree and was the first to get enrolled in any European University. The reality here is that he was a Ghanaian who was taken as a slave at a very young age when he was just 4. He was an Nzema to be precise as he was believed to have been born in Axim; a coastal town still present in Ghana.
He gained his doctorate in philosophy at Wittenberg in 1734; his thesis (published as On the Absence of Sensation in the Human Mind and its Presence in our Organic and Living Body) argued against Cartesian dualism in favour of a broadly materialist account of the person. He accepted that it is correct to talk of a mind or soul, but argued that it is the body rather than the mind which perceives and feels.
He later on went on to become a professor at a university as he was highly learned. I think with time, we will need to focus on him the more but for now, our attention is to have a look at some famous people from Ghana and it appears he can’t be taken off the list.
Kwame Nkrumah
I think he is the reason most Europeans think Africa is a country because the entire welfare of Africa was his goal. Africa is a continent with more than 50 countries. After Kwame Nkrumah have led Ghana to gain independence, his goal was the total liberation of the African continent and not just for his country Ghana.
Just like Amo, he was Ghanaian and was an Nzema as well- a small tribe that can be found along the coast of Ghana. Kwame Nkrumah really achieved a lot for Ghana and the African continent at large.
Idris Elba
Yes, we mostly see him in Hollywood or American movies but the great actor; Idris Elba is of African descent with her mother being a Ghanaian whiles his dad is a Sierra Leonean. His movie; Beast of No Nation for instance was shot in the forest and Eastern part of Ghana.
Kofi Kingston
The former WWE Champion is Ghanaian as well. Even his name Kofi gives him away as being Ghanaian because such names are mostly given to males born on Fridays.
He even came to Ghana recently to present the title to the sitting president of Ghana.
This was what he had to say when he came to Ghana.
“Above all else, when I was a kid, this was what I wanted to do, it’s awesome that I was able to achieve my childhood dream but what’s even more important than that is for me to come back and inspire people who might be exactly where I was as a little kid watching, hoping to be something that I am living, breathing proof that you can be whatever you want to be.
“I’m providing inspiration to people who want to do something but don’t know if they can do it. I’m here to provide inspiration that you can do it if you believe in yourself. So, I’m happy to be here to inspire other Ghanaians to go out and do great things in this world.”
Kofi Annan
The first African to act as the United Nations General Secretary and a Nobel Prize winner, Kofi Annan was born in Kumasi; the second largest city in Ghana. He is Ghanaian as well and brought lots of good deeds towards world peace.
George Oppong Weah
The current president of Liberia and the only African footballer to receive a Ballon D’or; His Excellency George Oppong Weah is of Ghanaian descent. He himself confirmed during a radio interview in Ghana that indeed his father was a Ghanaian from Takoradi in the Western Region. Oppong is a name very prevalent in Ghana.
Peter Mensah
The famous actor is Ghanaian as well. The list can go on and on as there are several famous individuals who are Ghanaians or of Ghanaian descent.
