More than 750,000 Ghanaians benefitted from Prince Philip – President Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has revealed that over 750,000 Ghanaians were directly impacted by the life of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

In a tribute, on Saturday, April 10, to commiserate with Queen Elizabeth II over the death of her husband, President Akufo-Addo said: “[Prince Philip] had a positive impact on us in Ghana. Over seven hundred and fifty thousand (750,000) young Ghanaians have benefitted from the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, the great initiative he established in 1956, sixty-five (65) years ago, to unearth talents amongst young people the world over.”

He continued, “It is now known in Ghana as the Head of State Award Scheme, and I had the honour, two days before his death, of cutting the sod for the construction of its own administrative office building, making Ghana one of the few countries in the world, and the second in Africa, to have such an office. His place in Ghanaian history is secure, and we appreciate very much his contact with us.”

He continued: “The British people have lost a redoubtable public servant, and we wish him peaceful rest in the bosom of the Almighty until the Last Day of the Resurrection when we shall all meet again.”

Prince Philip died on Friday, April 9 at Buckingham Palace. He was 99 years old.

The three times Prince Philip visited Ghana

The Duke of Edinburgh according to the BBC visited 143 countries in the world before his demise.

Ghana happens to be one of the 143 country and not only did he visit once but thrice.

His first visit to Ghana happened four years after Ghana had secured independence from Britain which then had and still has his wife Elizabeth as Queen.

From November 9 to 20, 1961, Prince Philip and his wife were in the country and it was during that visit that the famous picture of Ghana’s first president Kwame Nkrumah dancing with Queen Elizabeth was captured.

His second visit was in 1999 when the country was under the presidency of the late Jerry John Rawlings.

As in most cases, the Duke Edinburgh had accompanied his wife to the ex-British colony.



His third and final visit which came in 2008 was interestingly without his wife.

Prince Philips in a four-day working visit to Ghana toured some interesting places in the country oversaw the 30th triennial conference of the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League (RCEL).