Ghana is celebrating 66 years of independence from British colonial rule on March 6, 2023, and just like the 65 previous years, the day is a national holiday. Independence Day, as the day is known, is always a big day because it evokes the spirit of patriotism that filled thousands of Ghanaians to rise up against their colonial masters for freedom and self-governance.
The outpouring of patriotism that effused the homes and streets of then-Gold Coast set into motion a series of events culminating in independence in 1957 under Ghana's first president and Pan-Africanist, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
That historic achievement by Nkrumah made Ghana the first Sub-Saharan country to gain freedom from colonial rule. It encouraged other countries in the region to fight for their own independence a few years later.