Truly national? Social inclusion and the Ghana@50 celebrations

Abstract

This article examines public experiences and perceptions of Ghana’s fiftieth-independence anniversary celebrations, known as Ghana@50, through the concept of social exclusion. Drawing on archived newspaper material and public commentary, the study considers whether the celebrations were experienced as genuinely national and inclusive. Although Ghana@50 was presented as an opportunity for citizens to celebrate the country’s achievements, reflect on its history and imagine its future, the analysis shows that some individuals and groups experienced the celebrations differently. The article identifies forms of exclusion associated with political affiliation, age, gender and geographical location. These experiences are connected to broader and longer-standing patterns of inequality and marginalisation within Ghana’s processes of nation-building and development. The study argues that national celebrations do more than commemorate historical events: they also reveal competing ideas about who belongs, whose experiences are represented and who participates in the symbolic and material benefits of national life.