President John Dramani Mahama has urged international financial institutions, development banks, foundations and private-sector organisations to increase investment in Africa’s cultural infrastructure.

He argued that the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage should not be treated as a secondary issue to be addressed only after countries have achieved economic development.

“Heritage is an engine of development,” President Mahama said during a high-level event on the return and restitution of cultural properties and heritage in New York on Thursday, September 24.

According to him, properly preserved cultural assets can support education, strengthen national identity, attract international tourism and contribute to the creative economy.

He called for development financing to be directed towards regional archives, conservation laboratories, digitisation projects and professional training for African curators and historians.

President Mahama said such investments would strengthen Africa’s capacity to receive and preserve returned artefacts while creating opportunities for young people and expanding the economic value of the continent’s cultural heritage.