Khama named Pan African Heritage museum patron

Former President Ian Khama has been named as one of the patrons of the Pan African Heritage Museum. Khama was named among three new patrons by the Pan African Heritage World Museum Foundation ahead of the launch of its digital museum on May 5.

The former president was named alongside Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, and former UN Secretary General representative in West Africa and SAHEL Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas. The trio join the Council of Patrons of the Museum which includes the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ojaja II, Ooni of Ife, Nigeria, Kimera Muwenda Mutebi II, the Kabaka of Buganda in Uganda, Sir Dr Sam Jonah of Ghana and Dr Mamphela Ramphele of South Africa.

Through his efforts, Khama is credited for revolutionalising the arts during his reign as president when he introduced the President’s Day Competitions. At some point, the competitions recorded over 14,000 participants under different arts disciplines. The Pan African Heritage Museum, the first of its kind going digital ahead of the physical construction in Ghana, is showcasing the history, arts, culture of Africa from Ancient Egypt to the present contemporary Pan Africa.

The May 5 event is organised in collaboration with UNESCO, which has declared the day African World Heritage Day to give opportunity for people of the world, and particularly of Africa, to celebrate the continent’s unique cultural and natural heritage. The Pan African Heritage World Museum Foundation, which is building the Pan African Heritage Museum, is an international, not-for-profit, non-political, non-governmental organisation, registered in Ghana, with branches around the world, to create the environment to preserve and curate the unique history, arts, culture and indigenous knowledge of Africans and people of African descent.

“I am excited that eminent personalities in Africa and the African Diaspora are moved to provide support and more impetus to a vision, which is a legacy to the youth of the world”, said Kojo Yankah, founder and executive chairman of the project, adding: “We will announce more patrons in August this year”.