Stories and facts

Established just before independence in March 1957, the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) came into being through the consolidation of the Interim Council of the National Museum of the Gold Coast and the Monuments and Relics Commission, under Ordinance 20.

This crucial institution now operates under the authority of National Liberation Council Decree (NLCD) 387 of 1969 (later Act 387 of 1969), with further backing from Executive Instruments 29 and 42 of 1973.

The GMMB’s mandate is straightforward: to acquire, protect, preserve, and record Ghana’s tangible and fixed cultural inheritance.
Under the GMMB’s careful guardianship, a collection of six national museums headed by the National Museum in Accra illuminates Ghana’s archaeology, ethnography, and artistic achievements.

The National Museum, opened in 1957 and refurbished in 2022, holds upwards of 10,000 items, including fine art, archaeological discoveries, and cultural artefacts.

Furthermore, the GMMB oversees the upkeep and display of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as colonial-era forts and castles (like Cape Coast and Elmina), historic local buildings, mosques, and archaeological digs.

The Board rigorously supervises the movement and trade of antiquities through a licensing system and maintains a national inventory of cultural possessions. It identifies and formally recognises monuments, carries out scholarly investigations, and publishes findings on heritage matters.

With departments dedicated to museums, monuments, education, and public engagement, the GMMB also devises preservation strategies and offers expert advice for historic locations drawing in both academics and visitors with displays, practical sessions, guided excursions, and collaborations.

Today, the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board serves as a foundation for heritage management and cultural schooling. By safeguarding the nation’s archaeological and architectural past, alongside its artistic treasures, the GMMB plays a fundamental role in cultivating national identity, boosting tourism, and promoting global appreciation of Ghana’s vibrant history and ongoing customs.

Below is a collection of articles about museums in Ghana: