CHAIR: Luqmaan Bamba

​

On March 6, 1957, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from colonial rule, igniting a wave of liberation across the continent. But freedom brought formidable challenges. Independence required deep collaboration with British Colonial powers to craft a new constitution and government, and a delicate power transition had to be threaded.

The CPP (Convention People’s Party), lead the nation in parliamentary seats with Nkrumah as the nation’s Prime Minister and later its first president. The period leading up to independence even presented crises that the independence-bound nation had to navigate. The National Liberation Movement presented a crisis as they fought for the rights of chieftains and regions in opposition to Nkrumah’s centralization efforts. In the economic vein, cacao prices collapsed in the mid-60s, destabilizing the economy. This, along with growing discontent, will in the end lead to a coup to oust Nkrumah and his eventual exile.

In this Crisis Committee, delegates will navigate Ghana's turbulent early years—from Cold War entanglements to internal party rivalries, ethnic divisions, economic crises, and the threat of military coups. Representing politicians, merchants, colonial officials, and international actors, delegates must steer Ghana through the dilemmas of nation-building, all under the shadow of global powers and local ambitions.

Delegates will confront urgent questions: Should Ghana pursue non-alignment in the Cold War or embrace aid from the East or West? How should the new government balance the demands of ethnic federations like the National Liberation Movement with the drive for national unity? Can the state respond to collapsing cocoa prices without alienating local farmers or foreign partners? How should the government treat powerful traditional leaders, opposition figures, and diasporic economic actors? Delegates must weigh political loyalty against national interest, navigate palace intrigue, and manage external pressures from both Western democracies and Soviet-aligned states. Each decision will shape the path of a fragile new republic—and missteps could bring civil unrest, foreign interference, or a premature end to Ghana’s democratic experiment.