Hot SourceBy Shannan Akosua Magee
Ph.D Student, University of Ghana- Kwame Nkrumah Institute of African Studies
When the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) was founded on May 10, 1930 at Howard University in Washington, D.C., few could have imagined that its mission of unity, scholarship, and service would one day return to the land of its ancestors.
The first chapters to reach African soil appeared in Liberia in the late 1940s, but it is in Ghana that this movement has found new energy—a revitalization and renaissance that unites the continent and its diaspora. Ninety-five years later, that circle closed in Accra, where the West African Regional National Pan-Hellenic Council (WARNPHC) was formally chartered on May 10, 2025.
The NPHC—commonly known as the Divine Nine—has long been a cornerstone of leadership within historically Black institutions. Its members include teachers, activists, politicians, and community builders whose collective influence has shaped African-American progress for nearly a century.
What began in the lecture halls of Howard has now found vibrant new life on the African continent, where fraternity and sorority members are using the same principles of service and solidarity to strengthen communities and deepen diaspora ties.
A Historical Return
The first seeds of this connection were planted in 1948, when Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. established a chapter in Monrovia, Liberia—the first Black Greek-Lettered organization on African soil. A decade later, in 1958, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. also chartered in Monrovia, further strengthening the presence of the Divine 9 and advancing a shared commitment to scholarship, service, and sisterhood across the continent.
In 1960, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. chartered the Gamma Alpha Chapter at the University of Monrovia, extending that legacy of unity and empowerment through education and community leadership. Two years later, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. would follow suit.
At the same time, Africa’s independence movements were gathering momentum. Visionaries such as Dr. Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and President Nnamdi Azikiwe of Nigeria (both members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.) were shaping a new continental consciousness.
The intellectual presence of Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois, an Alpha Phi Alpha member who made Ghana his home, and his wife Shirley Graham Du Bois, a member of Delta Sigma Theta, gave symbolic and scholarly weight to this trans-Atlantic bond.
Also woven into that early story are President William Tubman of Liberia and First Lady Antoinette Tubman, whose partnership—often described as constitutionally bonded—embodied a shared devotion to education, civic service, and national progress. Their era helped open pathways for cultural exchange between Africa and the African-American community, drawing together leaders, scholars, and members of Black Greek-Lettered organizations in a shared vision of advancement.
Equally influential was Adelaide Casely-Hayford, a Sierra Leonean-Ghanaian educator and proud Zeta Phi Beta member, whose pioneering work in girls’ education and African cultural pride helped shape West Africa’s intellectual identity. Her vision found resonance with that of Dr. Anna Julia Cooper, an American scholar, Pan-Africanist and early member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., whose advocacy and activism helped to lay the philosophical groundwork for global Black solidarity and shape the early Pan-African Congress movements. Together, they advanced a trans-Atlantic vision of education and culture as pathways to Pan-African unity and liberation.
The Modern Resurgence
Long before Ghana’s celebrated Year of Return (2019), Black Greek members were already re-establishing roots on the continent. These early returnees—educators, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders—helped revive a sense of community and purpose that transcended borders.
Among them were Nana Serwa Wiafe, Kwabena “Kwabs” Asamoah, Emmanuel Gamor, Iris Ampofo-Barnes, Michael Darko, Nana K. Asare, Obed Lartey, Johnathon Akuamoah, Ken Tayki Agyepong, Abdul Kareem Abdullah, Ceola Oware, Afi Keni, Terry Oppong, Anthony Kwaku Prah Biney, Kofi Apraku, Adjoa Asamoah, Ozbert K. Boakye, Dr. Nana Kwame Wiafe-Ababio, and Dzigbordi Kwaku-Dosoo, a noted entrepreneur and women’s advocate.
Decades later, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., who served as President of Liberia from 2006 to 2018 and became Africa’s first elected female head of state, carried that legacy forward. Her leadership reflected the enduring power of education, integrity, and service as instruments of liberation—principles long championed by her Divine Nine Pan-African contemporaries.
She drew inspiration from pioneering figures such as Adelaide Casely-Hayford and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, whose shared vision of unity and empowerment shaped generations of African leadership. Today, that legacy continues through modern presidents like Joseph Boakai of Liberia, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Peter Mutharika of Malawi, a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.—both among the few sitting African heads of state within the Divine Nine network.
Supporting this historic return were distinguished leaders and former Presidents of the African American Association of Ghana (AAAG)—Victoria Cooper, Norma Brooks-Puplampu, Jerome Thompson, Sherrie Thompson, and Jimmie Thorne—joined by David Kweku Fleming, Craig Norman and Glenda “Peaches” Simpkins.
Their decades of dedicated service advancing the AAAG’s mission of cultural, social, and economic reintegration for people of African descent laid the groundwork for today’s enduring bonds between the Diaspora and Ghana—echoing the shared commitment of the Divine Nine to education, empowerment, and collective uplift.
Greeks of the Motherland
The modern movement of Black Greek life in West Africa began with the rise of Greeks of the Motherland, an informal network formed by members Nana Wiafe Serwa (DST) and Kwabena “Kwabs” Asomoah (OPP) of the Divine Nine. The initiative emerged as a way to connect fraternity and sorority members—both continental and repatriate—who shared a common purpose of service, leadership, and Pan-African identity.
The platform grew into a digital and social hub linking Divine Nine members in Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and beyond. It served as a gathering point for planning community projects, mentoring youth, and strengthening fraternity and sorority partnerships across borders.
Leaders such as Wayne Francis, Shannan Akosua Magee, Beverly Booker-Ammah, Maurice Cheetham, Erica Daniels, Bryan Cox, Nzali Johnetta Abrahams, Cassandra Blaine, Jamille Shuler Brown, LeAnn Arnold, Delia Gillis, Adaamah Craig, Richard A. Moore, Shermaine Moore Boakye, Annabelle McKenzie, Christa Sanders, Wanida Lewis, Adrienne Corder, Terrell Sanders, and Diallo Sumbry (first African-American Tourism Ambassador) coordinated service initiatives and organized the popular Divine Nine Mixers, which brought together members from different organizations in fellowship and collaboration.
This period of growth created fertile ground for the formal establishment of local chapters. Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., which had chartered a chapter in Liberia in 1955—becoming the second Divine Nine organization to do so after Zeta Phi Beta—made history again in 2011 by chartering the first Divine Nine chapter in Ghana.
Following this milestone, Omega Psi Phi became known not only for its community service but also for its camaraderie. The fraternity hosted the now famous barbeques and gatherings at the home of Kwabena Asamoah, which became a cornerstone of the Divine Nine social calendar in Accra and symbolized the unity between continental and diaspora members. The popular Divine Nine Mixers built fellowship and community networks that continue today.
Together, these efforts transformed informal fellowship into a formal network of leadership and service—laying the foundation for the establishment of the West African Regional National Pan-Hellenic Council (WARNPHC) and a new chapter in the legacy of the Divine Nine.
Ghana Gives Birth
On May 10, 2025, Ghana became the birthplace of a new chapter in Pan-Hellenic history: The West African Regional National Pan-Hellenic Council (WARNPHC), chartered under the international leadership of Christopher Ray, President of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
The Council unites Black Greek organizations active across West Africa under a single umbrella, promoting shared service and leadership development while strengthening connections between the continent and the diaspora.
Ambassadors and Cultural Icons
The Pan-Hellenic movement has also drawn strength from a constellation of cultural figures whose public work amplifies its message of unity and purpose:
- Samia Nkrumah (Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.) – Ghanaian politician and former chairperson of the Convention People’s Party. She is the daughter of Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana and a Pan-Africanist leader.
- A. J. Akua Okyerebea Johnson (Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.) – American born actress, TV producer, philanthropist, and health ambassador advances diaspora engagement through service, mentorship, the creative arts, and nonprofit initiatives.
- Malika Mene (Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.) – First Lady of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), advocate for women’s entrepreneurship and economic inclusion.
- Gina Paige (Alpha Kappa Alpha) – co-founder of African Ancestry, linking diaspora families to African roots.
- Farida Nana Efua Bedwei, (Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.) – Ghanaian software engineer, co-founder of Logiciel, and author of Definition of a Miracle. She was born with cerebral palsy and created a cerebral palsy superhero comic character.
- Hamamat Montia (Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.) – model, entrepreneur, and philanthropist championing African heritage and sustainability.
- Engracia Mofuman (Sigma Gamma Rho) – linguist and educator promoting African language preservation and cultural scholarship.
- Dr. Nana Kweku Nduom (Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc) – President of a multi-sectoral business conglomerate committed to integrating sustainable practices and reflecting a dedication to environmental stewardship and corporate responsibility.
Together they personify how heritage, culture, and service intersect in Ghana’s evolving Pan-Hellenic landscape.
Service in Action
Before the official charter, Divine Nine members in Ghana were already demonstrating what unity looks like in practice. Regular meetings, public-service projects, and charity drives turned ideals into measurable impact. Notable collaborations include the D4 Project in Greater Ada to support menstrual-health education, Maternal Health Initiatives that paid hospital bills for new mothers, Borehole Water Projects spearheaded by Team CSR Ghana under the leadership of Johnathon Akuamoah, and Youth and STEM Mentorships introducing students to leadership and innovation through a Pan-African lens. Additionally, the Uplift Torgorme Foundation has advanced health, education, economic empowerment, and community development across the Volta Region in Ghana.
A Continental Movement
Today, Divine Nine chapters are active across West Africa and beyond with chapters in Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, The Gambia, and South Africa, with expanding networks in Benin, Kenya, and Tanzania. What began as a cultural return has evolved into a continental movement—a fusion of diaspora vision and African leadership that continues to redefine service, scholarship, and unity across borders.
Nearly a century after the founding of the National Pan-Hellenic Council at Howard University, the spirit of the Divine Nine thrives on African soil—no longer a homecoming, but a continuation.
The post Ghana gives birth….How Black Greek life found its home on African soil appeared first on The Herald ghana.
