1963 - Ghana’s Parliament Passes African Unity Motion

On June 5, 1963, Ghana’s Parliament unanimously passed a motion supporting full African political and economic unification, just days after the historic founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Addis Ababa. This act, championed by Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, reflected his radical pan-African vision of a “United States of Africa.” While many African leaders preferred a gradualist approach, Ghana took the bold step of codifying continental unity as national policy. Nkrumah believed that only a politically united Africa could withstand neocolonial pressures, protect its resources, and secure global influence. Though rarely highlighted today, this legislative act positioned Ghana as the ideological spearhead of African liberation and integration. It also underscored the political courage of a newly independent nation willing to challenge global power structures in favor of Black sovereignty. The motion remains a symbol of Africa’s unrealized potential for continental federation.