A rare piece of footage online offers a fascinating glimpse into the daily life, traffic and commerce in Ghana’s rapidly changing capital, Accra, a few years after the country’s independence.
The footage, shared by Ghana Facts & History on Facebook, captures landmarks in the 1960s, including Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, the state-owned Ghana National Trading Corporation (GNTC), and the USSR Showrooms.
Unlike the gridlock that defines Accra today, the footage shows a city with a notable free flow of traffic. Vehicles move easily along the roads, with no congestion, as is now seen in areas like Kwame Nkrumah Circle, which has since become one of the capital’s most traffic-choked junctions.
People are also seen moving around freely, a reflection of a city that was far less densely populated than it is today.
The environment itself also stands out. The roads, gutters and surroundings all appear remarkably clean, painting a picture of a city that, in its early independence years, was noticeably tidier than the Accra of today.
The contrast is a striking reminder of how dramatically the capital has changed, in population, traffic and even cleanliness, since those early years.
Watch the video below:
