Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has challenged Ghanaians and Africans to move beyond ceremonial remembrance of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and translate his ideals of self-determination, Pan-Africanism and self-reliance into concrete action.Speaking at the 2026 NkrumahFest at Nkroful on Saturday, Mr Buah said the 117th anniversary of Nkrumah’s birth should serve as a moment of reflection on whether Ghana and Africa are building the societies envisioned by the country’s first President.He said the commemoration had four purposes: to remember Nkrumah’s life and achievements with pride, reflect honestly on his vision, renew the commitment to the ideals for which he stood, and inspire a new generation to carry those values forward.“Our celebration must never be a shallow ceremony. It must be of substance. It must be an honest accounting of what we have built upon his foundation and what we have allowed to crumble.”Mr Buah said Nkrumah’s enduring legacy should be assessed not merely through historical accounts or monuments but through the institutions and infrastructure that continue to serve Ghana decades after his death.He cited the Akosombo Dam, Tema Harbour, Adomi Bridge, the universities, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Bank of Ghana and State Housing Corporation among developments and institutions that, in his view, demonstrate the long-term nature of Nkrumah’s development vision.He stressed that Nkrumah’s major projects were conceived with future generations in mind rather than immediate political interests.“Kwame Nkrumah’s developmental projects and vision were never conceived for the next election. They were conceived for the next generation and for the next,” he said.Mr Buah urged young people to understand this distinction as they consider their own responsibilities to Ghana and Africa.With this year’s celebration themed “Nkrumah @117: Celebrating His Enduring Legacy – Africa Must Unite or Perish”, the Minister placed particular emphasis on Nkrumah’s vision of a united continent.He said Nkrumah did not view Ghana’s independence as an isolated national achievement, but as part of a broader struggle for African liberation and unity.He recalled Nkrumah’s declaration that “we face neither east nor west, we face forward”, and his position that Ghana’s independence would have limited meaning unless it was connected to the liberation of the wider African continent.Mr Buah said the second part of this year’s theme should prompt serious reflection because Africa continues to face challenges associated with fragmentation and limited continental integration.He argued that Africans share a common history, humanity and aspirations that should provide a stronger basis for unity than the colonial boundaries that separate the continent.Using difficulties faced by people travelling between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire as an example, he questioned why practical barriers to movement and integration persist decades after independence.The Minister also called for a renewed commitment to self-reliance, innovation and the development of an Africa that produces and builds rather than depends excessively on external support.He challenged Ghanaians to consider whether they were creating a country where no citizen would be left behind and whether Africa was becoming a continent capable of determining its own future.He quoted Nkrumah’s assertion that:“It is far better to be free to govern or misgovern yourself than to be governed by anybody else.”Mr Buah said the principle remained relevant to the continent’s development and urged citizens to see freedom not simply as a historical achievement but as an ongoing responsibility.As the Minister responsible for lands and natural resources, Mr Buah made environmental protection a central part of his call to preserve Nkrumah’s legacy.He urged Ghanaians to support the government’s renewed efforts against illegal mining and environmental degradation, arguing that protecting the country’s rivers, forests and natural resources was a responsibility to future generations.He said honouring Nkrumah required the present generation to defend the land with the same determination that characterised the independence struggle.“To honour his legacy is to defend the soil beneath us.”Mr Buah called on citizens to help ensure that Ghana’s rivers, forests and natural-resource base are preserved in a healthy condition for generations yet unborn.The Minister also acknowledged President John Dramani Mahama and the government for their role in institutionalising the commemoration of Nkrumah and recognising his birthday as Founders’ Day.He said the significance of the annual celebration ultimately lay in what Ghanaians did with the ideals associated with Nkrumah after leaving Nkroful.Mr Buah urged citizens, particularly the younger generation, to carry those values into their homes, workplaces and classrooms.“We stand where he stood, to dream as boldly as he dreamed, to build as he built, not for applause but for the next generation and for the next centuries,” he said.He said the objective should be to ensure that Nkrumah’s vision of a united, self-reliant and prosperous Africa moves from aspiration to reality.“Let us be the hands that carry the Osagyefo dream and values forward.”