A new memorial commemorating the victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade will be built in Accra, Ghana, as part of a global network of remembrance sites linked to a major memorial planned for London.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan joined the Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, to announce the plans during a trade visit to Africa. The new artwork will be installed outside Accra City Hall and is the first in a series of international partner memorials connected to ‘The Wake’ – a large-scale sculpture by artist Khaleb Brooks set to be unveiled at West India Quay in London Docklands in 2026.
Sadiq Khan said: “I’m honoured to join the Mayor of Accra to announce the first partner memorial to Victims of Transatlantic Slavery. This painful history continues to shape global society, and remembering the horrors of the Transatlantic Slave Trade is essential for us to understand ongoing inequalities today.
“This historic artwork will directly connect to the landmark memorial we are creating in London, providing a place to educate people about of the capital’s role in this terrible episode in human history.
“It’s now more important than ever that we commit to confronting these difficult parts of our history so that we can remember the millions of lives that were changed forever, but also learn from it.”
London played a significant role in the organisation and funding of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. While some monuments exist in places like Ghana commemorating abolition, both cities say there is still more to be done to acknowledge the millions who were enslaved and the impact on their descendants.
The new memorial in Accra is designed to reflect the experiences of the one million people who were trafficked from the Gold Coast — present-day Ghana — as part of the slave trade. It will feature a smaller version of the cowrie shell sculpture that forms the centrepiece of ‘The Wake’ in London and is intended as a space for education, reflection, and healing.
Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, Mayor of Accra, said: “The new memorial to be mounted in Accra marks an important and solemn moment for our city and for Ghana as a whole and will stand as a powerful reminder of the resilience of those who were enslaved and of our shared responsibility to remember and honour their lives.
“Hosting the first of these partner memorials in Accra, we hope to create a space for reflection, education, and healing to educate future generations of the painful chapter of our history and its enduring impact. This initiative, in partnership with the Mayor of London, will no doubt help in fostering dialogue and building stronger connections between the two communities.
“On behalf of the city of Accra, we are grateful to Mayor Sadiq Khan and the people of London for their commitment to telling this story in a way that transcends borders.”
The project is part of a wider effort by City Hall to confront London’s historical links to slavery and better represent the diversity of its population. The London memorial is being funded by a £500,000 commitment from the Mayor and forms part of his Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm.
Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard, Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice, said: “I welcome the official plans for the first partner memorial site in Accra, Ghana which will link back to the memorial being created for London as part of a global network of locations educating future generations on the history and legacy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
“When complete, this memorial will bring to light a history that should never be forgotten, marks a past that we must learn from, and reminds us of our collective duty to creating a better society. Only by educating our current and future generations and actively working to tackle the inequalities of today, can we build a fairer London and world for all.”
A similar partner memorial is also planned for Freetown in Sierra Leone. Sadiq Khan is currently on a trade mission to Lagos, Accra, Johannesburg and Cape Town to strengthen links between the UK and the African continent.
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
Harrow Online reaches hundreds of thousands of readers each month and has a social media audience of more than 200,000 followers.
For news tips, press releases or enquiries, contact Chris at info@harrowonline.org.
