The 2025 Dubois–Padmore–Nkrumah Memorial Lecture turned into an intellectual tour de force as Dr. Kojo Opoku Aidoo, renowned Pan-Africanist and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, delivered a captivating address at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra.
With precision and passion, Dr. Aidoo revisited the legacies of three giants who shaped Africa’s destiny—Kwame Nkrumah, W.E.B. Du Bois, and George Padmore.
He described them as the “Holy Trinity of Pan-Africanism,” mapping their ideological and political connections across decades and continents.
Reawakening Nkrumah’s Industrial Dream
Dr. Aidoo highlighted Nkrumah’s bold vision for a self-reliant, industrially advanced Africa, focusing on the historic 7-Year Development Plan that aimed to transform Ghana into a leading industrial nation.
He traced how Nkrumah’s government turned Tema into a manufacturing hub, constructed the monumental Akosombo Dam, and established KNUST as a center for science and innovation—laying the foundation for an African scientific and technological renaissance.
The Intellectual Triangle
The lecture explored the synergy between Nkrumah, Du Bois—the American scholar-activist—and George Padmore, the Trinidadian Marxist thinker.
“While their ideological approaches differed, they shared a single goal: Africa’s total liberation and industrial rise,” Dr. Aidoo noted.
Du Bois provided philosophical grounding, Padmore contributed revolutionary strategy, and Nkrumah synthesized these into Philosophical Consciencism—an ambitious framework blending socialism, African tradition, and anti-colonial struggle.
A Call to Action for Today’s Leaders
In a stirring conclusion, Dr. Aidoo challenged Africa’s current generation of leaders, academics, and entrepreneurs to reclaim the unfinished mission of the Pan-African pioneers.
He drew attention to Africa’s limited contribution to global manufacturing—just 2%—calling the imbalance unacceptable.
“This is not just about factories or power plants,” Dr. Aidoo declared. “It is about the soul of Africa—its dignity, security, and destiny.”
A Renewed Sense of Purpose
The lecture left participants inspired and contemplative. Attendees described the event as more than a historical reflection; it was a call to reignite the revolutionary spirit of the continent’s forebears.
From Accra to the diaspora, the message was clear: the work of the “Holy Trinity” must continue, and the time for Africa to industrialize is now.
Source: Akwasi Agyeman