The Interior Ministry has declared Tuesday, September 21, as a public holiday to mark Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day.

It is a day set aside to remember and honour Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

"The general public is hereby informed that Tuesday, September 21, which marks Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day, is a Statutory Public Holiday and should be observed as such throughout the country," a statement on the Ministry’s website said.

In the past, the celebration of the day had been marked with some controversy.

While many are arguing that Dr Nkrumah is the sole founder of the nation, others think there were many people who contributed to the founding of the modern state of Ghana, notably the other members of Big Six.

Former President John Evans Atta Mills’ government initiated a legislation in Parliament to declare September 21, a holiday in memory of Dr Nkrumah.

Ghana's first President was born on September 21, 1909, at Nkroful in the Western Region.

He attended Achimota School and also trained as a teacher. He went to the United States in 1935 for advanced studies, receiving a B.A. Degree from Lincoln University in 1939.

He also received an STB (Bachelor of Sacred Theology) in 1942, a Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania in 1942 and a Master of Arts in Philosophy the following year.