Kwame Nkrumah

Who was Kwame Nkrumah?

Kwame Nkrumah was an African nationalist politician, who became Ghana's first prime minister, and who campaigned for other African countries' independence.

When was Kwame Nkrumah around?

Kwame Nkrumah was born in 1909, and died in 1972. He became Prime Minister of Ghana in 1957.

Where was Kwame Nkrumah active?

Kwame Nkrumah was a politician in the Gold Coast, which became Ghana on independence.

What were Kwame Nkrumah's achievements?

Kwame Nkrumah played in important role in the struggle for Ghana's independence.

• ❖ He was the secretary of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) political party. He was arrested and imprisoned during the riots against British rule in 1948.
• ❖ The UGCC was prepared to wait for the British to enact change. Nkrumah was not prepared to wait, so he formed his own party, the Convention People's Party (CPP).
• ❖ The CPP's slogan was 'Self-Government NOW!'.
• ❖ Even though he was in prison, Nkrumah won the first democratic elections allowed by the British in the Gold Coast.
• ❖ The British realised they would have to work with Nkrumah, so appointed him 'Leader of Government Business' in 1951. The Gold Coast was still under British rule, however.
• ❖ In 1957, when Britain finally allowed independence. Nkrumah became the first Prime Minister of independent Ghana.
• ❖ Nkrumah then held a Pan-African (the whole of Africa) conference in Ghana, in 1958. He also travelled to other countries, to encourage them in their struggle for independence.
• ❖ The people of Ghana wanted him to focus on Ghanaian affairs. In 1966 he was removed from power by the army, and he spent the rest of his life in exile.

What was the significance of Kwame Nkrumah?

These are some of the ways in which Kwame Nkrumah was significant.

• ❖ As secretary for the UGCC party, Nkrumah campaigned for better job opportunities for Gold Coast veterans who had fought for the British Empire.
• ❖ He also became the first prime minister of independent Ghana in 1957.
• ❖ He can be credited with helping to stimulate campaigns for independence in a number of other African countries.
• ❖ He looked beyond the borders of his own country and adopted a Pan-African outlook - even though this led to him losing power in 1966.