US singer Steveland Morris, popularly known as Stevie Wonder, was awarded Ghanaian citizenship by the nation’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo, on Monday.
The musician and his family marked his 74th birthday in Accra, Ghana’s capital, where he was officially presented with his new citizenship papers in a ceremony at Jubilee House.
Wonder will now hold dual citizenship in both the United States and Ghana.
He spoke of his deep connection to Ghana, stating during the ceremony, “I felt Ghana, I felt my civilization was there, and I was there where it began.”
Born and raised in Michigan, Wonder has long held a deep affinity for the African country. In 1975, after releasing several hit albums, the Grammy-winning artist publicly shared his intention to leave music and relocate to Ghana.
“In conferring Ghanaian citizenship upon Stevie Wonder, we not only extend our warmest embrace to a beloved son of Africa, but also reaffirm our belief in the enduring spirit of Pan-Africanism and the global African family, and the boundless potential of our continent and all its descendants,” Akufo-Addo wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday.
The award of citizenship to Stevie Wonder is part of Ghana’s broader ‘Year of Return’ initiative launched in 2019, which encourages members of the African diaspora to explore their heritage by relocating to the continent. Since the initiative’s inception, over 300 individuals have been granted Ghanaian citizenship.
Meanwhile, other celebrities such as rapper and actor Ludacris and actor Idris Elba have also embraced their African roots by acquiring citizenship in Gabon and Sierra Leone, respectively.