The Manhyia Palace has announced plans to complete a new ultra-modern central museum storage facility before the end of 2026, in a major boost that aims to preserve the Asante cultural heritage.

The new facility, according to opemsuo.com, is designed to securely house both newly repatriated ancestral objects, particularly those looted by the British during various battles, as well as valuable artefacts already in the palace’s collection.

The report added that the new museum will also feature state-of-the-art conservation laboratories and traditional music laboratories, making it the largest facility of its kind in Ghana.

The storage complex will be located alongside the new Arts and Culture Gallery currently under construction at the palace, which is expected to open to the public in the coming months.

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Director of the Manhyia Palace Museum, Ivor Agyeman-Duah, explained that the project is part of a deliberate strategy to return and protect ancestral items in their rightful home.

“We have developed a strategy for a central storage facility to house both incoming objects and those already in our care, ensuring that these ancestral hand-made crafts are properly secured in their original homes,” he said at the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Art Awards on May 13, 2026.

The palace further noted that the project is being undertaken in collaboration with Justice & Repair, adding that the initiative has benefited greatly from the personal interest and investment of the Kotokohene.

“Aside from the Kotokohene’s personal interest and investment, goodness favoured our collaboration with Justice & Repair,” the statement added.

The report stressed that the new storage facility and conservation laboratories form part of broader efforts by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to strengthen the preservation and presentation of Asante history and cultural heritage at Manhyia Palace.

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