The 'Wakanda City ' has been launched at a ceremony at the Cape Coast Municipality. The 'Wakanda City' will serve as a pilgrimage for people of African descent.
The city of Cape Coast in Central Region is widely known as the nation’s tourism hub for African Americans. Every year, hundreds of Black people across the world visit the city and other historic slave sites to learn about the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
The city was the hotbed of the slave trade that saw millions of Africans uprooted to the New World. The coastal region has a number of castles and dungeons that were used to keep enslaved men and women for days before they were transported to the Americas to work on various plantations.
In 2019, Ghana organized ‘the Year of Return’ to commemorate the landing of slaves from Africa in America. The event was highly patronized by members of the diaspora. Beyond the Year of Return, there has been an effort to consolidate the gains made.
In this regard, the city of Cape Coast has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Africa Diaspora Development Institute (ADDI) and two local companies to create an ultramodern city. The city will be called the “Wakanda City of Return.” The proposed name of the city is inspired by the popular Hollywood movie, “Black Panther.
Speaking at the launch, Mayor of Cape Coast, Ernest Arthur expressed his appreciation to African Diaspora Development Institute (ADDI), Pelicape Limited and Adepa Africa Investments for accepting the Assembly's proposal to undertake the 'Wakanda City of Return' Project.
The project which is expected to provide over 3,000 jobs to people in the area is also expected to boost tourism promotion in the area.
The ultramodern edifice modelled around the architecture of the 'Wakanda City' as exhibited in the famous 'Black Panther' movie is expected to attract many across the globe to Ghana. It will also be a center for teaching the history of the black race.
The 'Wakanda City of Return' will indeed cause the coastlines of Cape Coast to witness the construction of 5 -Star hotels, heritage walk way, retreat and health resort, conference centers and the continental corporate headquarters of African Diaspora Development Institute (ADDI).
The Partners add that the project will indeed be a sound arena for leveraging on the heritage and cultural tourism assets of Cape Coast in creating a definite place of pilgrimage for people of African descent to know the history, culture and civilisation of Africa as well as the continent's role in creating a new world economy and order.
Addressing the gathering during the launch, the paramount Chief of Cape Coast, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, who was also the Chairman of the event lauded the initiative of the Assembly and its partners and pledged his commitment in making the project a success.
He indicated that the project which will be built on the coastlines of Cape Coast should be used to correct the negative script about Cape Coast and Ghana as a whole in terms of development.
He added that the ultramodern city should be able to tell the world that Ghana is not only rich in tourism potentials but is also rich in terms of the mental capacity to do great things.
The Vice-Chancellor of the Cape Coast Technical University, Rev. Ing. Prof. Joshua Danso Owusu-Sekyere also pledged the readiness of the University to partner the investors in making the project a success as the project will not only add to the tourism potentials in the area but will also attract more investors into the area.
On funding for the project, Dr. Kojo Taylor, Chairman of the 'Wakanda City of Return', who is also a partner of Sanford Clinics, Ghana noted that the partners are on course in raising the needed funds to build the city.
He thus, discounted suggestions that the project is going to be one of the promises which were never fulfilled.
"I have been involved in so many projects including Sanford Clinics and raising money for this project is not going to be difficult. We are going to give the public monthly or quarterly updates so that they know what we are doing", he added.
Her Excellency Ambassador Arikana Chihombori-Quao, a former African Union Representative to the United States and the President of ADDI praised Hon. Ernest Arthur, the Mayor of Cape Coast for his commitment in ensuring that this project comes to realization.
She disclosed her readiness to mobilize funds for the construction to begin as soon as possible.
The Chief Executive Officer of Adepa Africa Investments and Apagyahen of Asebu Traditional Area, Nana Obokese Ampah I underscored the need to come together as a people to push this great vision.
According to him, the support of the people of Cape Coast is needed to bring this dream into realization.
