Budget 2019: Fundraising campaign for National Cathedral to be launched in Ghana, USA

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has announced that the government will launch a global fundraising campaign to raise funds from the diaspora to construct a 5,000-seater National Cathedral.

The Ghana launch is slated for December 28 this year with another launch also scheduled for February 2019 in the United States of America.

The minister said the decision to raise funds from the diaspora followed President Akufo-Addo’s determination that the building of the National Cathedral should not put undue financial burdens on the state.

Consequently, he said the president directed that a partnership be struck between the state and the Ghanaian Christian community, both at home and in the Diaspora.

He repeated that the state was facilitating the building of the cathedral by providing the land, the secretariat, and seed money for the preparatory phase.

Beacon of tourism

He said although the cathederal will be a 5,000-seater facility, it will be expandable to 15,000 people, with spaces for national events and celebrations.

“It will include, among others, a grand central hall, a music school, and will house Africa’s first-ever Bible Museum and documentation centre,” he said.

He added that the National Cathedral project will bequeath to the country a gracious national park for all Ghanaians, bring new skills, technology and jobs to the country.

It will also act as a beacon to national, regional and international tourists, he said.

"National Cathedral: Mr. Speaker, on March 6, 2017 - the 60th year of our independence - the President cut the sod for the construction of a National Christian Cathedral for the country that will provide the space for national events of a religious nature.

"A National monument, the Cathedral will house impressive chapels and baptistery, 5000-seat main auditorium,y as our collective goal."