About Us
The Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) is the legal custodian of Ghana’s material cultural heritage (movable and immovable heritage). The Board was established in March 1957 – on the eve of Ghana’s independence – as a result of the merger of the then interim Council of the National Museum of the Gold Coast and the Monuments and Relics Commission. The GMMB is governed by the National Liberation Council Decree (NLCD) 387 of 1969, now known as Act 387 of 1969, which was further strengthened by the Executive Instrument (E.I.) 29 of 1973.
The history of GMMB can be traced to the establishment of an Ethnographic Museum at Achimota College in 1929. That museum was transferred to the Department of Archaeology at the University of the Gold Coast, when the university was created in 1948.
In 1952, there was the awareness of the need to conserve the past. The British Colonial government then put in place an ‘Interim Council of the National Museum of the Gold Coast’ to facilitate the creation of a national museum.
The Interim Council of the National Museum of the Gold Coast and the Monuments and Relics Commission merged, and this led to the passing of the Museum and Monuments Board Ordinance (GOLD COAST No. 20 of 1957), which established the GMMB.
The material cultural heritage of Ghana comprises monuments which include buildings of traditional Ghanaian architecture and decor, such as the Asante Traditional Buildings, the European-built Forts and Castles, and other colonial-era buildings. The movable cultural heritage includes artefacts such as pots, stools, musical instruments, textiles, clothing, leather works, weapons, tools, carvings, masks, jewellery, and ritual dolls.
The material cultural heritage of Ghana also includes several archaeological finds.
Key elements of Ghana’s Cultural Heritage
Key elements of Ghana’s Cultural Heritage under GMMB include the following:
- A varied collection of Forts and Castles, built and occupied by the Portuguese, Dutch, Danes, Swedes, Germans, French, British and Brandenburg-Prussians between the 15th and 20th Centuries
- Ten ancient Asante Traditional Buildings dating from the 17th Century to the early 20th Century
- Mosques in Northern Ghana
- Artefacts such as pots, stools, musical instruments, textiles, clothing, leather works, weapons, tools, carvings, masks, jewellery, ritual dolls.
All of the Forts and Castles and the Asante Traditional Buildings are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Other elements of the Ghana Cultural Heritage
Other elements of the Ghana Cultural Heritage include:
- Adinkra symbols
- Carved wooden stools
- Festivals of the various ethnic groups
- Gold weights
- Kente cloth
- Musical genres such as highlife and hiplife
- Traditional and contemporary musical instruments
- Traditional dances
- Traditional ethnic music.
Mission:
The mission of the GMMB is to acquire, protect, conserve and document the Nation’s movable and immovable material cultural heritage for posterity, for the purposes of research and education of the public.
Vision:
To be an effective, efficient and focused institution in the preservation of the material cultural heritage of Ghana and West Africa.
Legal and Administrative Framework
GMMB derives its powers from National Liberation Council Decree (NLCD) 387 of 1969, now known as Act 387 of 1969, which was further strengthened by the Executive Instrument (E.I.) 29 of 1973.
Ghana ratified the World Heritage Convention in 1975. Therefore, GMMB is guided by the operational guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention. GMMB is also guided by international guidelines, recommendations and charters.
Function/Activities
The Ghana Museums and Monuments Board undertakes the following functions/activities:
- Equipping and managing all material cultural (movable and immovable) heritage of the nation.
- Establishing, equipping and managing new museums.
- Controlling the export, import, sale and change of ownerships of material cultural property through licensing and issuance of permits.
- Establishing a National Register and keeping inventory of all material cultural (movable and immovable) heritage of Ghana.
- Identifying and recommending for declaration as national monuments, structures, objects and sites of historical and cultural significance.
- Undertaking research and publication of all matters relating to material cultural (movable and immovable) heritage.
Rules and Regulations
GMMB’s rules and regulations are spelt out in National Liberation Council Decree (NLCD) 387 of 1969 (now known as Act 387 of 1969), and Executive Instruments (EI) 29 of 1973 and 42 of 1972.
Act 387 of 1969 addresses:
- Control of Antiquities
- Establishment and Functions of Board
- Meetings, Proceedings and Remuneration
- Members of the Board, Officers and Employees
- Funds, Accounts and Audit
- Regulations.
EI 29 of 1973 mainly addresses:
- The export of antiquities
- The sale of antiquities
- National monuments.
EI 42 of 1972 addresses:
- The list of National Monuments.
The Ghana Museums and Monuments Board comprises two main divisions: the Museums and the Monuments Divisions. These divisions are supported by three auxiliary departments:
- Education and Interpretive Department
- Administration and Finance Department
- Public Relations/Marketing Department.
The Heads of these Divisions and Departments constitute the Management Committee of the institution. They meet at least twice a month to deliberate on the day-to-day running of the GMMB, and send the necessary reports to the Board of Directors.