The African Legacies Institute (ALI), a pan-African think-tank, has started an initiative to preserve leadership histories and enduring legacies of Ghana’s former Heads of State.
This forms part of ALI’s broader continental mission to safeguard Africa’s governance heritage, democratic progress, and records of peaceful transitions.
The process includes gathering archival materials, speeches, policy records, photographs, audiovisual content, and post-presidency work that reflect each leader’s contribution to national development.
The documentation in Ghana would encompass legacies of the nation’s former leaders who have contributed to its democratic consolidation and development.
They are former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor, John Evans Atta Mills, and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
A Founding Partner of the African Legacies Institute, Franya E. Cabral Ruiz, said it was important to preserve accurate and accessible leadership history as Africa navigates a rapidly changing information environment.
She explained that ALI’s work was designed to counter the erosion of institutional memory, strengthen democratic education, and ensure future generations have access to verified historical records.
A statement issued by the organisation further said that ALI seeks to ensure the leadership journeys of the statesmen, their policies, and their impact on Ghana’s governance evolution are preserved with accuracy, dignity, and accessibility for future generations.
“ALI is compiling a comprehensive record on Mr Kufuor, whose presidency marked a significant period of transformation in Ghana.”
“His administration oversaw major economic reforms, including the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, which enabled Ghana to secure debt relief and strengthen macroeconomic stability.
Under his leadership, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was introduced, expanding access to health care for millions of Ghanaians,” it said.
Beyond domestic reforms, the statement said Mr Kufuor played a prominent role in regional diplomacy by contributing to peacebuilding efforts in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire, and served as Chairperson of ECOWAS from 2003 to 2004 and later Chairperson of the African Union from 2007 to 2008, elevating Ghana’s position in international affairs.
The statement further said his governance record and global engagements earned him international recognition, including the World Food Prize in 2011 for leadership in reducing hunger and poverty.
In his post-presidency, the statement said that former President Kufuor has remained deeply committed to national development through the work of the John A. Kufuor Foundation.
The foundation promotes leadership development, good governance, and youth empowerment, values that are strongly aligned with the African Legacies Institute’s mission to document and advance the legacy of Africa’s democratic leaders.
To further consolidate and entrench its transformational leadership agenda, it said the John A. Kufuor Foundation birthed the Kufuor Scholars Programme (KSP), among other initiatives.
