Accra, June 02, GNA – The Executive Body of the Pan African Heritage Museum (PAHM) has paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Awal, in Accra.

The call was to discuss issues centered on the pillars of the “Beyond the Return” which dovetails into the overall objectives, vision and agenda of the PAHM, including, Experience Ghana, Diaspora Pathways to Ghana, Brand Ghana, Give Back Ghana, Promote Pan – African Heritage and Innovation, Celebrate Ghana and Invest in Ghana.

The Executive Director of the PAHM, Prof Pashington Obeng said the call was also to discuss other issues of interest to the sector in respect of the Museum.

He said the team was appreciative of the support from the Ministry and the Government, saying partnership and effective collaboration was needed for the Museum to achieve its purpose.

He noted that the Museum would not just be a place for people to come through and experience the artifacts and African relics, but it would also be concerned about the local community involvement thereby creating jobs and employment. 

Prof. Obeng assured the Minister that seminars and workshops would be organized in Senior High Schools and Universities, across the country to empower the youth to create jobs and help them understand the African culture, history and heritage.

Dr Awal said culture defined a people and therefore was inspired by the concept and brains behind the Museum currently operating digitally until the construction was completed to have the physical experience. 

He noted that African Americans undertook trips to destinations where they could connect with their roots and history and therefore the Museum was timely.

“The Ministry’s target was to receive two million visitors by 2024 and beyond to generate five billion dollars for the Ghanaian economy. Per statistics, each tourist spends on the average an amount of $2,500.00 in the country, when they visit, and this energizes the economy. For this year, the target of the Ministry is one million tourists as part of Destination Ghana and ‘Beyond the Return’ campaigns.”

Dr Awal reiterated government’s commitments to create jobs and employment through the private sector and one of such initiatives worthy of support was the PAHM which aimed at also involving the local community and creating opportunities for the youth of this country.

“The Ministry is working assiduously to make tourism whose foundations were culture and heritage, the number one contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product hence, would support to push Ghana’s cultural heritage across the length and breadth of the country.”

Mr. Ladi Nylander, Executive Vice Chairman, PAHM said the Museum was one of a kind in the world and the first. “There are about 3,000 museums in Europe and only 200 in Africa. None of these has a digital version.”

GNA