The Church Of Afrikania And The Legacy Of Traditional Religion

A Catholic priest, Dr. Vincent Kwabena Damuah resigned from the church and assumed the traditional priesthood title Osofo Okomfo in 1982, pioneering the inauguration of a neo-African traditional creed and pan-African campaign called Afrikania.

The original African religion system is activated through Afrikania’s publications, lectures, seminars, press conferences, and radio—The Afrikania Hour—as well as television broadcasts. As a resourceful voice and knowledge production base, the movement preaches that traditional religion and culture is the spiritual basis for advancing the development discourse of Africa.

Damuah’s influence comes from his father and grandfather, who were herbalists and traditionalists. Throughout Africa, ancestors served the community with their proficient philosophies about medicinal flora and exercised religious and metaphysical concepts of healing where there was almost no distinction between the physical and the realm of the supernatural. It’s for this matter that Afrikania is described as Amen Ra: God Centred; Sankofa: a return to African roots; and Godian: neo-traditional.

The teachings of Afrikania can be found in the Afrikania Handbook, Miracle at the Shrine, and other booklets like The Divine Acts, authored by Damuah and added on by Kofi Ameve. Pan-Africanist political literature is well read during meetings. The Afrikania Handbook is composed of 10 articles of faith and 14 pillars of life expanding on the religion, socioeconomic issues and political activism.

Afrikania is “traditional religion ‘come alive’, reformed and updated,” and its teachings include time management, herbal medicine, community service, reverence for elders, agricultural evangelism, etc, while practicing libation, prayer, sacrifices and rituals, as well as consecrating the ancestors and pan-African figures. Afrikania holds Sunday noon services at various locations of Accra and the Volta Region of Ghana.

In 1992, when the founder Damuah died, his succession led to a division which reunited in the year 2000 as the Afrikania Mission, with Kofi Ameve as the head. Especially in the Volta Region, the Afrikania Mission has succeeded in bringing together traditional shrines and healers and promoting herbal healing as alternative medicine. Afrikania runs an annual convention, is building a university in the Brong Ahafo Region, and is advocating for a national holiday just like Christians and Muslims get to observe. Kofi Ameve died in 2003, and in April 2004, Osofo Komfo Atsu Kove was elected.

Afrikania’s attempt to bring unity to a diffused system of traditional shrines and healers, and thereby giving a greater voice to the traditional faith in society, as well as reconnection with the diaspora is totally significant. Is Afrikania Africa’s answer to identity pursuance and return to traditional spiritual roots?

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.