Fritz Baffour calls for revival of cultural pride on Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day
Communication consultant and former Member of Parliament Fritz Baffour has called on Ghanaians to reclaim and celebrate their cultural heritage as a vital strategy to navigate modern global influences. Speaking on the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day edition of “Zed in the Morning,” Baffour highlighted the enduring legacy of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president, who was a passionate advocate for nation-building and cultural preservation. Nkrumah envisioned a unified Ghanaian identity that would foster national pride and resilience against external pressures.
Baffour stressed the importance of embracing the positive aspects of Ghanaian culture while actively resisting detrimental foreign influences. He remarked, “We should have a certain respect for our culture, take the best out of our culture, and apply it to the modern world.” He lamented that many around the globe are adopting Ghanaian ideas while Ghanaians themselves have not fully embraced their cultural identity, saying, “I think a lot of the world are feeling our ideas and making them their own because we have not owned our culture.”
He further acknowledged the foresight of Nkrumah, who championed initiatives such as the School of Performing Arts to promote and preserve Ghanaian culture. “Kwame Nkrumah was the one who pushed forward for the School of Performing Arts and all those kinds of things so that our culture could help us resist negative foreign influences,” he noted. However, Baffour expressed concern that this vision has not been fully realized, stating, “Unfortunately, we don’t follow that plan, and so right now we are very, very… If foreign influences come into our country, we find it very difficult to reject the wrong ones.”
Emphasizing the need for cultural revival, he said, “In terms of our culture, in terms of our music, and how we relate to each other, that aspect of our culture should have been brought to the fore over the years. But right now, we’ve become a little divisive and disgusting.” He also reflected on Nkrumah’s vision for a unified Ghana, stating, “Kwame Nkrumah wanted to remove the tribalistic aspect of our lives and make us all Ghanaians and Africans too.” Baffour’s passionate call to action serves as a reminder of the importance of cultural pride in fostering a cohesive national identity, especially in the face of globalization and foreign influence. By reclaiming and celebrating their heritage, Ghanaians can build a stronger, more united society that honors its past while confidently engaging with the future.
