By Rorisang Modiba
Stevie Wonder – the US-born singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer – officially became a citizen of Ghana after taking the oath of allegiance and receiving his citizenship certificate at a ceremony at the presidential palace in Accra.
Wonder has been influential in many music genres for decades, including R&B, pop, soul, gospel, funk, and jazz.
The legendary American singer, who turned 74 on Monday 13 May, was granted the honour on his birthday.
Wonder shared his interest in relocating to Ghana back in 1975, speaking about his desire to connect with his ancestral roots.
His connection to Ghana strengthened after headlining a music festival there in the 1990s, and he has repeatedly spoken about his intention to move to escape racial injustice in the US.
During a ceremony led by Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, Wonder was presented with a Ghanaian passport, marking his formal integration into Ghanaian society.
Flanked by his family and donning a scarf made of traditional kente cloth, Wonder was visibly delighted to have finally become Ghanaian, the BBC reported.
Ghana has long prided itself on being a bastion of pan-Africanism – its founding leader, Kwame Nkrumah, called the West African state a “Black Mecca”.
In 2001, Ghana became the first nation on the continent to give the descendants of Africans the right to stay.
Since then, Africans in the diaspora have been able to live and work in Ghana without renewing their visas or work permits.
In a statement, Ghana’s interior ministry said Wonder becoming a citizen “marks a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to attract diasporan Africans and recognise outstanding contributions to the African diaspora”.
The man himself said he now plans to engage in initiatives that will create great job opportunities for Ghana’s youth, who make up roughly 38% of the population.
“The youngest generation is in Africa. We need to begin to think about how their greatness can shine,” he said.
Pictured above: Stevie Wonder.
Image source: X
