The stories about Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, may well be legendary, because of the cross-national effects and tales that are told about him.
Even far away in Tanzania, the East African country once honoured the exploits and significant inputs of the pan-Africanist, with a building that bares his name, featured on their currency.
According to details shared by Ghana Facts & History on Twitter, the building, located at the University of Dar Es Salaam, houses the works of people that continue to support the economic and socio-cultural development of the country.
It is through this, and the distinct impression that the Nkrumah Hall has had on the university community and the country as a whole, that the building once appeared on the Tanzanian 500 shillings note.
The Nkrumah Hall is now a UNESCO National Heritage Building and has become an iconic symbol of academic enquiry, liberty, and development.
While researching further, GhanaWeb chanced on another information on how the Nkrumah Hall building got to be featured on the country’s currency.
According to a user on Twitter, Awakey (@kofiawapo), the symbolism of having Kwame Nkrumah’s name on the building, and then featured on the 500 shillings note, was out of gratitude to the Ghanaian president.
“… the origin of the 500 shillings note, apparently was given to Nkrumah as a gift by a Head of State. He pledged to give a scholarship to a Tanzanian citizen to study in Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology,” he tweeted.
Ghana celebrates the birthday of Kwame Nkrumah on September 21.
While the country has not marked the day as a national holiday in the last few years, because of the new Public Holidays Act, 2018, which was passed by Parliament in 2018 to amend the Public Holidays Act, 2001, a new information from the Minister of the Interior days ago said this year’s would be marked otherwise.
The new Act replaced three public holidays, including September 21, and introduced two new holidays, January 7 and August 4.
However, in the statement issued by the minister on Friday, September 17, 2022, it said Wednesday, September 21, 2021, has been declared a statutory holiday.
Nkrumah Hall at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania was named after the late Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana. The building has once appeared on the Tanzanian 500 shillings note. The Nkrumah Hall has become an iconic symbol of academic liberty, and development. pic.twitter.com/wdPR7tego3
— GHANA FACTS & HISTORY (@GhanaianMuseum) September 7, 2022