Slavery reparations ‘fair and just’ – grandson of first Ghanaian president

Redress measures could correct imbalances rooted in colonial-era exploitation, Kwame Nkrumah Melega has said

Calls for reparations over the transatlantic slave trade are “fair and just,” Kwame Nkrumah Melega, the grandson of Ghana’s first president, has said.

Speaking to RT, the head of the Kwame Nkrumah Foundation said the initiative reflects a long-overdue reckoning with history and its lasting consequences, stressing that societies must confront past injustices. “We have to learn from our history,” he noted.

The activist added that his grandfather would have been “very happy to see the Ghanaian government making progress in healing the wounds of the transatlantic slave trade.”

He linked the transatlantic slave trade to centuries of exploitation across Africa, noting that his grandfather had connected it to “the 500 years of exploitation” in the region. The activist argued that these historical processes continue to shape present-day inequalities, describing neocolonialism as “the continuation of the exploitation in the African continent.”

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Melega added that exploitation persists in modern forms, even if it is less visible today.

He also pointed to the economic implications of reparations, saying they “would be a massive benefit” for African countries and could help address structural imbalances rooted in colonial history, including inherited debt burdens. 

At the same time, Melega called for greater self-reliance, urging African nations to focus on domestic industries and increase production within the continent.

On Wednesday, the UN General Assembly adopted a Ghana-sponsored resolution recognizing the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity.” The measure secured support from 123 countries, including Russia and China. The US, Israel, and Argentina opposed it, while 52 nations – among them the UK and EU members – abstained.

“We come together in solemn solidarity to affirm truth and pursue a path to healing and reparative justice,” Ghanaian President John Mahama said, adding that “the adoption of this resolution serves as a safeguard against forgetting.”

READ MORE: UN declares slave trade ‘gravest crime against humanity’

Separately, Kenyan High Court advocate Gilbert Kemboi described the UN move as “the greatest milestone for Ghana.” The lawyer noted, however, that resistance from Western countries remains likely and that further progress will depend on coalition-building across Africa and support from sympathetic states.