Boats in the central region of Ghana

In the lead up to Commonwealth Day 2021, we are proud to share several personal connections that CPA UK staff members have with the Commonwealth. 

Elorm Haligah is a Programme Manager in the Multilateral Projects Team. He manages the thematic priority of Trade in all of CPA UK's work. 

What is your family heritage?

My family are from Ghana in West Africa. An interesting fact about Ghana is that it was the first country in Sub Saharan Africa to gain independence from the British Empire.

What brought your family to the UK? What challenges did your family face and/ or overcome integrating into the UK?

Both my parents came to the UK separately as students and ended up meeting each other. My dad feels he did not overtly experience any difficulties, but my mum found it hard to get a job. Although she had qualifications from back home in Ghana, it wasn’t until she obtained some form of qualification in the UK that she was able to get her first job as a secretary for what was then London Electricity.

What contributions can we celebrate that your community has made to British culture? 

Ghanaians have had a huge influence on British popular culture. Below is a list of notable British Ghanaians

• Stormzy – Multi- Award Winning Musician
• Dizzee Rascal – Grime pioneer, Rapper and music executive
• Reggie Yates - Actor, television presenter and radio DJ
• Michaela Cole - Actress
• Idris Elba - Actor
• Ozwald Boateng – Fashion Designer
• Kanya King MBE – Founder of the MOBO Awards
• Rachel Yankey MBE - Professional female footballer for Arsenal W.F.C. and the England women's national football team
• Edward Enninful – Editor-In-Chief of British Vogue
• Danny Welbeck - Professional footballer for Arsenal F.C. and England national football team
• Afua Hirsch – Author and Journalist
• Claudia Liza Arma– Media personality and Journalist
• Joshua Buatsi – Boxer and Olympic Bronze Medallist
• June Sarpong MBE – Television Presenter

British Ghanaians have also had a huge influence on British politics.

The Right Honourable Lord Paul Boateng was elected at the general election of 1987, when he became the MP for Brent South, being one of the first three Black British MPs, elected alongside Bernie Grant and Diane Abbott. He became the UK's first Black Cabinet Minister in May 2002, when he was appointed as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Since Lord Boateng, Adam Afriyie, Sam Gyimah, Kwasi Kwarteng, Abena Asare Oppong and Bell Ribeiro-Addy are all British Members of Parliament with Ghanaian heritage.

Why is a representative parliament important to you?

Having a representative parliament is extremely crucial to any society. Not only does it provide diversity of thought and views, it also gives the younger generation a tangible reference point if they aspire to one day assume a position in elected office. Media coverage of people from the black community can often be negative, so these politicians are not only role models for British Ghanaians, but also positive examples for black people across the world.