The multiple award winner said he will work towards creating great employment opportunities for Ghanaian youth.
After celebrating 74 years oldth On his birthday, music icon Stevie Wonder became a Ghanaian citizen.
Surrounded by her family and wearing a scarf made from traditional Kente fabric, Wonder was visibly happy to finally be a Ghanaian.
This was at a ceremony at the Presidential Palace, where he was also presented with a birthday cake with the Ghanaian flag iced on top.
“I have been talking about being in Ghana for years. I started talking about it in 1973, when I first came here, and only then did I feel as if I had been here before. I felt the essence of it and said this is where I'm meant to be,'' Wonder told the BBC.
“By awarding him Ghanaian citizenship, we not only recognize his immense talent and achievements, but also recognize his deep ties to the African continent and the unity, cohesion and cultural exchange of all people of African descent. I acknowledge the tireless efforts to promote this,” the President of Ghana said. Nana Akufo-Addo said this at the ceremony.
The musician said he intends to work towards creating greater employment opportunities for Ghana's youth, who make up about 38% of the population.
“The youngest generation is in Africa. We need to start thinking about how we can let their greatness shine through,” he said.
Mr. Wonder was recently awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Lincoln.
“I have been able to see in my heart many things that you can never see. I can see in spiritual vision. I am always asking myself how I can love better. I write songs about,” the 25-time Grammy winner said in his commencement speech.
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Diaspora citizenship despair
Ghana's Ministry of Home Affairs said Mr Wonder's citizenship “marks an important milestone in the country's efforts to attract African diaspora and recognize outstanding contributions to the African diaspora.”
In 2001, Ghana became the first country on the continent to grant residency rights to people of African descent.
In 2019, the Ghanaian government launched the Year of Return initiative to encourage Africans in the diaspora to migrate to Ghana.
This commemorated the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first recorded enslaved Africans in Virginia.
Since then, more than 300 Africans in the diaspora have acquired Ghanaian citizenship.
Actor Samuel L. Jackson holds a Gabonese passport, as does rapper Ludacris, whose wife is from the country.
In May 2019, the American comedian and actress became a full citizen of Eritrea, the birthplace of her father. Similarly, actor Idris Elba was granted citizenship in Sierra Leone, her father's homeland.
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