Kwame Nkrumah | |
---|---|
President of Ghana | |
In office 1 July 1960 – 24 February 1966 | |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Joseph Arthur Ankrah as Chairman of the NLC |
3rd Chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity | |
In office 21 October 1965 – 24 February 1966 | |
Preceded by | Gamal Abdel Nasser |
Succeeded by | Joseph Arthur Ankrah |
1st Prime Minister of Ghana | |
In office 6 March 1957 – 1 July 1960 | |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
Governors‑General | |
Preceded by | Himself as Prime Minister of the Gold Coast |
Succeeded by | Himself as President |
1st Prime Minister of the Gold Coast | |
In office 21 March 1952 – 6 March 1957 | |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
Governor‑General | Charles Arden-Clarke |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Himself as Prime Minister of Ghana |
Personal details | |
Born | Francis Kwame Nkrumah 21 September 1909 Nkroful, Gold Coast (now Ghana) |
Died | 27 April 1972 Bucharest, Romania | (aged 62)
Political party | |
Spouse | |
Children | 4, including Gamal and Samia |
Education | |
Awards | Lenin Peace Prize (1962) |
Part of the Politics series on |
Pan-Africanism |
---|
Part of a series on |
Leninism |
---|
Part of a series about |
Imperialism studies |
---|
Francis Kwame Nkrumah (21 September 1909 – 27 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He served as Prime Minister of the Gold Coast from 1952 until 1957, when it gained independence from Britain.[1] He was then the first Prime Minister and then the President of Ghana, from 1957 until 1966. An influential advocate of Pan-Africanism, Nkrumah was a founding member of the Organization of African Unity and winner of the Lenin Peace Prize from the Soviet Union in 1962.[2]
After twelve years abroad pursuing higher education, developing his political philosophy, and organizing with other diasporic pan-Africanists, Nkrumah returned to the Gold Coast to begin his political career as an advocate of national independence.[3] He formed the Convention People's Party, which achieved rapid success through its unprecedented appeal to the common voter.[4] He became Prime Minister in 1952 and retained the position when Ghana declared independence from Britain in 1957. In 1960, Ghanaians approved a new constitution and elected Nkrumah President.[5]
His administration was primarily socialist as well as nationalist. It funded national industrial and energy projects, developed a strong national education system and promoted a pan-Africanist culture.[6] Under Nkrumah, Ghana played a leading role in African international relations during the decolonization period.[7]
Nkrumah's government became authoritarian in the 1960s, as he repressed political opposition and conducted elections that were not free and fair.[8][9][10][11][12] In 1964, a constitutional amendment made Ghana a one-party state, with Nkrumah as president for life of both the nation and its party.[13] He fostered a personality cult, forming ideological institutes and adopting the title of 'Osagyefo Dr.'.[14] Nkrumah was deposed in 1966 by the National Liberation Council in a coup d'état, under whose supervision the country's economy was privatized.[15] Nkrumah lived the rest of his life in Guinea, where he was named honorary co-president.[16][7][17]
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2024 (link)
© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search