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From church to beach parties: How 2023 was welcomed
New Year celebrations always come with a mix of activities and this year’s celebration was no exception. Many Christians had ushered in year 2023 at watch night services across the country and Monday January 2, was another opportunity to ‘let the hair down’.
As it was a public holiday, revellers found their preferred locations to ‘cool off’.
From the streets, to beaches and pubs, some residents in Accra stepped out in their numbers to take part in the fun as some jammed to records or live band music at various entertainment spots in the city.
Our Photographer, Lizzy Okai, was also out and about capturing sights and scenes at church services and selected beaches in the capital.
It was all praise singing at the Church of Pentecost, Kpobiman Assembly in the Greater Accra Region, with celebrants dressed in colourful traditional clothes or already made dresses. The sermons projected a positive outlook for the year as worshippers rededicated themselves to starting the year on sound footing.
Tambourine
Patrons at the beaches were from diverse backgrounds and age groups. Singles, couples and individual families were engaged in variety of fun throughout the day or for as long as their energy levels would permit.
The depth of the celebrations, to some extent, made some people doubt there was any form of economic hardship in the country. These notwithstanding, the happy moments spent in the Church or at the beaches clearly had a therapeutic effect as it bonded lovers, individuals, and families.
It is said that Ghanaians do not take their holidays for granted and, indeed, this buttresses the merrymaking as captured at various locations in Accra and beyond
By Serwaa Marfo
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana Tourism Authority is leading Ghana’s participation at ITB Berlin, which opened in Berlin with a vibrant national pavilion highlighting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, tourism destinations and investment opportunities.
March 5 has been designated as Ghana Day, a special platform to promote Ghana’s languages, cuisine, Kente, festivals and business prospects to the global tourism community. The stand has already drawn strong interest with traditional arts and crafts displays, immersive multimedia presentations and popular Ghanaian snacks.
Seven private-sector players are exhibiting alongside government officials as part of efforts to deepen trade partnerships, expand market access, and attract investment across the hospitality, heritage tourism, ecotourism, and creative arts sectors.
Ahead of the official opening, the Ghana delegation also engaged young Ghanaian investors in Germany in collaboration with V Afrika-Verein and the Ghana Embassy, strengthening diaspora investment linkages and highlighting opportunities within the tourism value chain.
Ghana’s coordinated presence at ITB Berlin 2026 reinforces its strategy to position the country as the Gateway to Africa and a competitive destination for leisure travel and global investment.
