On the 61st anniversary of Ghana's national independence from Great Britian, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo celebrated by revealing plans for the new National Cathedral of Ghana. “The Cathedral will address the missing link in our nation’s architecture by providing a Church of national purpose" the President proudly proclaimed. 

He went on to describe an inter-denominational house of worship and prayer that will "serve as the venue for formal state occasions of a religious nature, such as presidential inaugurations, state funerals and national thanksgiving services."

Designed by Sir David Adjaye, who was born in Tanzania to Ghanian parents, the national worship center will be a celebration of religion, culture, and local traditions. Situated within 14 acres of landscaped gardens near the Osu Cemetary in Accra, it will house a series of chapels, a baptistery, a 5,000-capacity auditorium, a grand central hall, a music school, a choir rehearsal and multi-use spaces, an art gallery, and a shop.

The cathedral will be located in Ghana's capital, a city that has gained recent international prominence for its thriving art scene and collection of midcentury architecture. The region also has a rich architectural heritage deeply-rooted in its own local traditions that Adjaye seeks to honor with his design. The firm's concept for the new 21st century landmark intertwines Christian symbolism with Ghanian heritage, and speaks to the unification of the West African region and collective kinship.

“It is an immense honor to be granted the opportunity to contribute something of this scale and import to my home country" spoke Adjaye of the commission. "I have sought to craft a building that not only understands its landscape but one that will be unique to Accra and the Ghanaian Nation.”

When completed, the site will serve as a national place of worship and a place to hold important religious ceremonies. The project has sparked local criticism over the construction of such a cathedral in the face of the country's many financial difficulties. And whether the state, which is officially secular, should be involved in such an explicitly religious venture. The country's attorney general, Gloria Akuffo, has even been sued over the matter.