UEW Scholars Win UNESCO Grant for Historic Castles Project

Nine scholars from the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) have been awarded a UNESCO Ghana grant to undertake a project that seeks to enhance local appreciation, participation and sustainability of historic forts and castles in Ghana with Cape Coast and Elmina Castles as the focus of study.

The project, titled “Enhancing Local Appreciation, Participation and Sustainability of Historic Forts and Castles in Ghana: A Case Study of Cape Coast and Elmina Castles,” is led by Prof. Alexander Kyei Edwards with the support of a distinguished team of scholars comprising Prof. Esther Yeboah Danso-Wiredu, Prof. Emma Sarah Eshun, Dr. Latipher Appiah-Agyei (Coordinator), Dr. Gideon Ampofo, Dr. Samuel Affran, Dr. Isaac Aboagye, Ms. Barbara Amoako Kissi and Mr. Raymond Bentum Boison.

The project seeks to expand the heritage economy surrounding Cape Coast and Elmina Castles by ensuring that local communities are not only participants but also beneficiaries of the opportunities that stem from these globally significant cultural heritage sites. The initiative emphasises local ownership, economic empowerment and the promotion of sustainable cultural tourism in ways that align with UNESCO’s broader goals of safeguarding cultural heritage while fostering inclusive development.

According to the project team, heritage sites such as Cape Coast and Elmina Castles are not only monuments of Ghana’s history but also powerful assets for economic and cultural growth. They observed that while these sites attract thousands of international visitors each year, local communities have often remained on the margins of the benefits generated by heritage tourism. Their project, therefore, seeks to address this gap by promoting initiatives that strengthen community participation, encourage sustainable practices and deepen local appreciation of the castles as living heritage.

The researchers also highlighted the project’s potential contribution to Ghana’s ongoing drive to operationalise a 24-hour economy. The project aims to create new economic opportunities in the heritage sector, particularly in the Cape Coast and Elmina enclaves by strategically enhancing community involvement in cultural heritage activities.

The scholars further noted that ensuring local communities appreciate and actively engage with these monuments would guarantee not only their preservation but also their integration into the socio-economic fabric of the people who live around them.

In addition to its cultural and economic benefits, the project will generate important academic insights on how heritage management can be localised to serve both conservation and community development needs. It will also provide practical recommendations for policymakers, cultural heritage authorities and local government bodies on how to create participatory frameworks that ensure long-term sustainability.

The award of this UNESCO Ghana grant to the nine UEW scholars underscores the University’s growing reputation as a hub for cutting-edge research that addresses pressing national and global challenges. It also reflects the institution’s commitment to producing knowledge that not only advances scholarship but also empowers communities and strengthens Ghana’s cultural and economic identity.

With this project, UEW continues to affirm its position as a leader in education, research and innovation while contributing meaningfully to the protection and promotion of Ghana’s invaluable cultural heritage for both present and future generations.