Eighteen months ago, I was in Accra, Ghana’s capital, visiting Nkrumah Memorial Park, a sprawling five-acre complex that once hosted polo matches during the British colonial period.
As a child growing up in India, I often saw photos of Nkrumah in newspapers and magazines, and knew him to be a friend of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s beloved Prime Minister.
Kwame Nkrumah and Jawaharlal Nehru shared a relationship rooted in mutual respect, intellectual camaraderie, and a shared vision of a post-colonial world grounded in justice, peace, and non-alignment.
Though separated by continents and distinct cultural histories, the two leaders found common cause in their struggles for national independence and their aspirations for global solidarity among newly liberated nations.
Comrades in Non-Alignment
Nehru, the architect of modern India, admired Nkrumah’s fiery resolve to lead Ghana as the first sub-Saharan African nation to break free from colonial rule.
Nkrumah, in turn, saw Nehru as a seasoned statesman who had transformed a vast and diverse land into a functioning democracy, while championing non-violence and socialism. Both leaders were intellectuals at heart, deeply influenced by progressive ideas and committed to building nations that prioritised education, industrialisation, and social justice.
Their friendship was cemented through the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which sought an independent path for countries unwilling to be pawns in the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.
At the Bandung Conference in 1955, where leaders of newly independent nations gathered, Nehru and Nkrumah found themselves aligned on the need to resist imperialism and promote cooperation among the Global South. Nkrumah admired Nehru's dignified diplomacy and often sought his counsel on international matters.
A Historic State Visit
Nehru’s visit to Ghana in 1961 demonstrated their warm relationship. The streets of Accra were lined with cheering crowds as Nkrumah welcomed Nehru not merely as a visiting dignitary but as a comrade-in-arms in the struggle for peace and development.
In their public addresses, both leaders emphasised the importance of unity among emerging nations and the moral imperative to uplift their people from the shadows of colonial exploitation.
Kwame Nkrumah, the fiery architect of Ghana's independence and a torchbearer for pan-Africanism, was born on 21 September, 1909, in the village of Nkroful. The son of a goldsmith and a mother steeped in Akan traditions, he was destined not for the mundane rhythms of village life but for the epic stage of Africa’s liberation struggle.
Nkrumah’s journey from a dusty classroom in Accra to the hallowed halls of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania shaped a mind brimming with revolutionary ideas. His intellectual appetite devoured the works of Marx, Garvey, and Lenin, but it was the drumbeat of African unity that resounded most profoundly in his heart.
Upon his return to the Gold Coast, his charisma and vision ignited a groundswell of political fervour. As the leader of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Nkrumah galvanised the masses with a rallying cry for "self-government now!" This clarion call echoed across colonial Ghana, shaking the British establishment to its core. Even imprisonment could not dim his star; from behind bars, he swept the elections, emerging as the leader of a nation teetering on the brink of freedom.
On 6 March, 1957, under a jubilant African sky, Nkrumah stood triumphant as Ghana unfurled its flag as the first sub-Saharan nation to cast off the shackles of colonial rule. "The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked with the total liberation of Africa," he declared, his voice a rallying cry to a continent yearning for freedom.
The Fall of a Visionary
As president, he envisioned Ghana as a beacon of progress, erecting schools, factories, and the monumental Akosombo Dam. Yet, the very ambition that propelled him to greatness also led to his fall.
He locked up his opponents, forced the media to sing his praises, and squandered the entire surplus he inherited from the Brits on such things as a vanity airline that flew almost empty planes to Moscow while refusing to fly to any of the cities Ghanaians actually wanted to visit. Accusations of authoritarianism mounted, and dreams of a united Africa grew entangled in Cold War politics.
As factionalism and regional rivalries intensified, opposition to Nkrumah grew. In response, he cracked down with repressive laws and consolidated power by transforming Ghana into a one-party state. v
As factionalism and regional rivalries intensified, opposition to Nkrumah grew. In response, he cracked down with repressive laws and consolidated power by transforming Ghana into a one-party state.
But the cracks in his rule were widening. He expanded his personal security detail into a full regiment, while corruption and reckless spending pushed the country deep into debt.
Legacy and Redemption
Despite mounting discontent, Nkrumah remained unaware of the brewing storm. In a fateful move, he left Ghana for a state visit to China in 1966. Seizing the opportunity, the military staged a coup, toppling his government.
Exiled in Guinea, Nkrumah spent his final years writing and dreaming of a united continent. Though his body faltered, his heart beat not just for Ghana, but for the liberation of all Africa. When he died in 1972, history remembered him as a man who dared to dream of a continent unshackled and standing proud.
With Nkrumah’s dramatic ousting, orchestrated by the National Liberation Council with Western backing, Ghana's political winds shifted to a period marked by discrediting his legacy. His statues were torn down, his writings were censored, and his name was tarnished. However, as history often does with revolutionary figures, time softened the hostility, and his monumental contributions to Ghana and Africa at large were reevaluated and ultimately celebrated.
The rehabilitation of Nkrumah's legacy began slowly but gained momentum in the 1980s, under President Jerry John Rawlings. Despite being a former critic, Rawlings recognised Nkrumah's visionary development agenda and his unwavering commitment to the cause of African liberation. In 1992, Rawlings' government posthumously honoured Nkrumah with the official title of "Founder of the Nation." Nkrumah’s birthday, 21 September, was also declared a public holiday - Founder’s Day.
His mausoleum, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, was constructed in Accra, becoming a pilgrimage site for Ghanaians and Pan-Africanists alike. Statues and monuments celebrating his leadership and advocacy for African unity were restored.
Nkrumah's ideas were further rehabilitated through academic discourse and a renewed focus on his writings, which championed socialism, economic self-reliance, and African identity. Ghanaians began to appreciate the long-term wisdom of his development projects, such as the Akosombo Dam, which continued to power the nation's industrial and energy needs.
An Enduring Journey
Beyond Ghana, Nkrumah’s Pan-African dream inspired the establishment of the African Union (AU), which traces its ideological roots to his relentless advocacy for a United States of Africa. His image now graces Ghana’s currency, and his ideas continue to inspire debates about African sovereignty and development.
Thus, from vilification to veneration, Nkrumah’s journey in Ghana’s national memory reflects a story of redemption, as the nation came to embrace its founding father not just for his successes but also for his enduring vision of a proud, united Africa.
For India, too, Nkrumah remains a symbol of the bonds first forged by Jawaharlal Nehru, who saw in Ghana a kindred spirit in the fight for freedom and dignity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ghana stands as a testament to this historic friendship, reaffirming India’s commitment to strengthening ties and honouring the shared legacy of these visionary leaders.
(Akhil Bakshi, an author and explorer, is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and Explorers Club USA, and Editor of ‘Indian Mountaineer’. He is also the founder of Bharatiya Yuva Shakti, an organisation that ensures good leadership at the village level. He tweets @AkhilBakshi1. This is an opinion piece, and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)