The Board of Directors of the National Cathedral of Ghana has dismissed media reports suggesting that the state-gifted site designated for the National Cathedral is being repurposed into a Cultural Convention Centre.
In a report issued on July 7, 2025, following an emergency board meeting, the Board clarified that it has not received any official communication confirming such a decision from government authorities.
The Board, in a statement issued and signed by Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah, Executive Director of the National Cathedral of Ghana, reiterated the original vision for the National Cathedral, emphasising its purpose as a sacred infrastructure to serve key national religious functions, such as state funerals and national thanksgiving services.
It said the declaration of July 1, 2025, as Ghana’s official National Day of Prayer—alongside the recent hosting of the first Christian National Day of Prayer at the State House—has renewed urgency and justification for completing the Cathedral.
In addition to serving as a place of worship, the National Cathedral project includes plans for a Bible Museum, Biblical Garden, and an economic engine comprised of revenue-generating facilities like a 350-seater restaurant, conference hall, library, and banquet hall.
These elements are aimed at establishing the Cathedral as not only a religious and cultural hub but also a heritage tourism site that celebrates the contributions of the Ghanaian and African church, including those of the African Diaspora.
According to the report, the land for the Cathedral was legally transferred to the National Cathedral of Ghana, a company limited by guarantee. While preparatory work and architectural designs have all been completed, construction—begun in 2021—has seen just 8% progress due to funding challenges and the politicisation of the project.
Nonetheless, the Board stressed that the Cathedral is not an abandoned project. An audit by Deloitte and Touche confirmed that all state funds disbursed were properly accounted for and used for actual project-related work.
The Board emphasised its continued commitment to the project and outlined plans to move forward through depoliticised collaboration and statutory accountability.
A proposed state-church-society partnership is under discussion as a way to secure the necessary financing to complete what is described as a critical national infrastructure.
Once completed, the National Cathedral is envisioned as a unifying interdenominational space for Christians across Ghana and a broader interreligious platform for the nation.
Earlier, the government of Ghana led by President John Mahama announced a major policy shift to repurpose the unfinished National Cathedral project into a National Cultural Convention Centre (NCCC)—a landmark facility that will anchor Ghana’s growing creative economy and serve as a continental hub for cultural diplomacy.
The transformation, revealed in a policy document tied to the government’s 24-hour economy agenda for culture, creative arts and tourism dubbed “SHOW24”, will see the controversial cathedral site reimagined as Africa’s premier venue for film festivals, trade shows, international exhibitions and creative summits.
At the national level, a bold flagship intervention is proposed: converting the National Cathedral site into the National Cultural Convention Centre (NCCC), in partnership with the AfCFTA Secretariat.
This venue will serve as Africa’s premier cultural diplomacy and creative economy forum, hosting international exhibitions, film festivals, trade shows, and summits-filling a critical infrastructure gap without conflicting with national values or faith institutions.
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), is to spearhead the initiative.
