Accra will become the centre of global Pan-African engagement next week as more than 200 delegates from 57 countries gather for an international conference commemorating the 80th anniversary of the historic 5th Pan-African Congress held in Manchester in 1945.
The event, known as The International Conference of Pan-African Progressive Forces Commemorating the 5th Pan-African Congress, is scheduled for November 18–19, 2025, at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum. It is being organised under the theme “From Historical Memory to Economic and Political Justice.”
In a statement dated November 12, 2025, signed by Humphrey Quaye, Head of the Pan-African Progressive Front (PPF), said the conference seeks to rekindle the transformative spirit that defined the Manchester meeting, which shifted Pan-Africanism from academic debate to a people’s movement for action.
The 1945 Congress, attended by figures such as Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, W.E.B. Du Bois, Amy Ashwood Garvey, and George Padmore, laid the foundation for the demand for immediate independence, workers’ rights, and an end to colonial exploitation.
According to the PPF, the Accra conference will revisit these historical ideals while confronting contemporary challenges facing Africa. Delegates will reflect on the meaning of true political freedom, examine the need for economic self-reliance, and discuss the continuing struggle against new forms of dependency. They will also address Africa’s ongoing pursuit of reparations, continental unity, and justice for centuries of enslavement and extraction.
The conference is expected to produce two major outcomes; a strategic framework for Africa’s sovereignty and prosperity and The Accra Declaration, a unified statement capturing the shared vision, commitments, and action plans of the participating countries and organizations.
Organizers emphasize that the gathering is not simply another meeting, but a revitalized movement aimed at linking ideas with concrete action. Beyond speeches and debates, the event will feature exhibitions, including displays of stolen African artifacts, symbolizing the enduring fight for cultural restitution.
The conference will be officially launched by Ghana’s President and African Union Champion for Reparations, H.E. John Mahama.
The PPF praised his leadership both in Ghana and across the continent, describing his role as pivotal in the pursuit of historical and economic justice. The participation of several heads of state and senior dignitaries is expected to highlight Africa’s renewed commitment to collective progress.
Ghana’s selection as host is considered both symbolic and strategic. Since becoming the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence in 1957, Ghana has served as the intellectual and political centre of Pan-African thought.
Accra became a sanctuary for liberation fighters and a rallying point for continental unity, making it a fitting venue to bridge the aspirations of 1945 with the realities of 2025.
“In 1945, the call was for independence. In 2025, the call is for integration, justice, and power,” the PPF statement noted, adding that the Accra Declaration will assert Africa’s readiness to shape its own destiny within a multipolar global order.
The PPF has invited Pan-African organizations, movements, and individuals across Africa and the diaspora to participate in the event. It insists that the mission will not end with the closing ceremony in Accra; instead, it will continue through coordinated campaigns and actions aimed at advancing Africa’s renaissance.
“Together,” the statement said, “we can ensure that the legacy of Manchester 1945 is not only remembered, but reborn, renewed, and transformed into living action for Africa’s future.”