American music legend Stevie Wonder has fulfilled a lifelong dream by becoming a Ghanaian citizen, receiving his citizenship papers during a ceremony at the presidential palace in Accra.
Celebrating his 74th birthday in Ghana’s capital with his family, on Monday where President Nana Akufo-Addo presented him with papers of his new citizenship, Stevie Wonder expressed his joy at obtaining dual citizenship of both the United States and Ghana.
“I guess it’s just the lineage. I felt Ghana, I felt my civilization was there and I was there where it began,” he remarked during the citizenship ceremony.
Ghana’s initiative, the “Year of Return,” launched in 2019, seeks to welcome members of the African diaspora back to the country. President Nana Akufo-Addo commended Stevie Wonder for his musical contributions and dedication to the African diaspora during the ceremony.
The statement from the interior ministry highlighted Stevie Wonder’s enthusiasm in embracing his new citizenship, noting that the event would foster increased collaboration and exchange between Ghana and the African diaspora.
Accompanied by his wife, Stevie Wonder, a Grammy-winning artist renowned for his advocacy work, including campaigning for Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday to become a US holiday in 1980, adds to the growing number of African-Americans and European Africans visiting Ghana for heritage tours under the “Year of Return.”
