Deputy Minister for Education Dr. Clement Abas Apaak says the redevelopment of the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre in Accra must go beyond preserving a historic site and transform the facility into a “living classroom” where students can encounter and study African history directly.
Dr. Apaak said the Centre should give students, teachers and researchers access to the writings, personal materials and ideas of Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois while creating opportunities for research and learning about Africa from African perspectives.
He said education should not be confined to conventional classrooms, arguing that museums, archives and historic sites can help students connect what they learn in books with the people, objects and records behind that history.
Dr. Apaak, who is also the Member of Parliament for Builsa South, made the remarks in Accra on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, when he represented the Minister for Education at a ceremony marking the 63rd anniversary of Du Bois’ death.
The ceremony also launched a 365-day countdown to the planned rededication of the Du Bois bungalow on Aug. 27, 2027.
“Places such as the Du Bois Centre allow students to see the people, objects and records behind the subjects they study,” Dr. Apaak said.
He said Du Bois’ lifelong commitment to education, research and the advancement of people of African descent remains relevant to Ghana’s education system, particularly efforts to encourage young people to understand and research African history.
Du Bois moved to Ghana in 1961 at the invitation of then-President Kwame Nkrumah to work on the Encyclopedia Africana, an initiative intended to document African history and knowledge from an African perspective.
Although Du Bois died before completing the project, Dr. Apaak said its underlying vision remains relevant to contemporary education.
He said young people should have opportunities to study the continent’s history from African perspectives while developing the ability to research, question existing knowledge and contribute their own ideas.
The planned redevelopment of the Du Bois Centre includes the restoration of the bungalow, preservation of his personal materials and the establishment of a museum and research library.
The Centre currently houses about 1,500 books, journals and other publications associated with Du Bois.
Dr. Apaak said preserving the collection would give future generations an opportunity to study Du Bois’ ideas while gaining a better understanding of the historical period in which he lived and worked.
He said the participation of students in the 63rd anniversary commemoration was particularly significant because young people should remain central to the future of the Centre.
According to him, the redeveloped facility should inspire students to read widely, think independently, undertake research and develop ideas of their own.
Dr. Apaak commended the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation and its partners for efforts to redevelop the Centre and said the Ministry of Education was prepared to support initiatives that strengthen connections between education, museums, archives and historic sites.
He said preserving Du Bois’ legacy should ultimately help equip young people with the historical knowledge and confidence needed to contribute to Ghana, Africa and the wider world.
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