By Daniel Bampoe
In a dramatic policy reversal, President John Dramani Mahama’s government has announced that the controversial National Cathedral project will be repurposed into a National Cultural Convention Centre (NCCC)—a major departure from the long-contested religious infrastructure initiated by the previous Akufo-Addo administration.
This transformation, officially outlined under the Mahama administration’s “SHOW24” cultural policy framework, forms part of the broader 24-hour economy agenda targeting Ghana’s creative economy.
The new centre, according to the policy document, is envisioned as a continental hub for cultural diplomacy and creative arts—hosting international exhibitions, film festivals, trade expos, and creative summits.
From Sanctuary to Showcase
Originally conceived in 2018 by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the National Cathedral was meant to be a 5,000-seat Christian worship centre.
It was to include a Bible museum, chapels, a Heroes’ Corner, prayer gardens, and a civic hall—designed by renowned British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye.
The building was described as a national monument to Ghana’s Christian identity, with aspirations to host state funerals, religious summits, and ecumenical services.
The structure was also to feature a Grand Bell Tower and a landscaped 14-acre site in central Accra.
However, despite these grand ambitions, only 25% of the physical structure had been completed by early 2024.
Key developments so far included site clearance, excavation, partial foundation works, some reinforced concrete columns, retaining walls, and underground utility preparation.
A temporary administrative office and fencing were also installed.
According to official figures, over GH₵339 million in public funds had been spent on the project by early 2024—far exceeding initial claims that the project would rely primarily on private donations.
Opposition Then, Repurposing Now
President Mahama, while in opposition, was one of the fiercest critics of the project.
He consistently denounced it as a “misplaced priority” and questioned the morality of allocating state funds to a religious edifice at a time when Ghana was grappling with widespread poverty, under-resourced schools, and a crumbling health system.
In 2023, Mahama described the project as “a monument to failed leadership and broken promises” at a Christian Ecumenical Council meeting.
His party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), led by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, took an even firmer stance—demanding a halt to public spending on the project. On Ghana’s Independence Day, March 6, 2024, NDC MPs famously staged a symbolic “commissioning” of the incomplete site to draw attention to what they described as a national scandal.
The NDC also accused then-Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta of using “backdoor budgetary allocations” to channel funds to the project and staged multiple parliamentary protests, including a budget boycott in 2023.
New Vision, New Partners
Now, with the NDC back in power, the Mahama government has opted to keep the existing structure—but radically reimagine its purpose.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the rebranded National Cultural Convention Centre will be developed in partnership with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, which is headquartered in Accra.
Officials say the centre will fill a long-standing infrastructural gap in Ghana’s creative and cultural economy—without provoking the religious and political controversies that engulfed the original cathedral concept.
The NCCC will become a space for secular and inclusive national engagement, supporting Ghana’s aspiration to become a cultural powerhouse in Africa while also offering economic opportunities through creative industries, tourism, and international collaboration.
