Government Declares July 3 As Ghana’s Republic Day Holiday
- The Ministry of the Interior announced Friday, July 3, 2026, as the official day to observe Republic Day, a statutory public holiday
- Although Republic Day falls on Wednesday, July 1, President John Mahama has declared July 3 as the public holiday instead
- The Executive Instruction was made in accordance with Section 2 of the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act, 2001
The Ministry of the Interior has announced that Friday, July 3, 2026, will be observed as Republic Day, a statutory public holiday, following a declaration by President John Mahama.
The announcement was made in a statement dated June 24, 2026, and signed by the Sector Minister, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak.
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Although Republic Day falls on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, President Mahama has exercised his authority under Section 2 of the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act, 2001 (Act 601), as amended, to shift the day of observance to the nearest Friday via Executive Instrument (E.I.).
The ministry's statement reads as follows:
"The general public is hereby informed that Friday, 3rd July 2026, marks Republic Day, which is a statutory public holiday. However, in view of the fact that 1st July 2026 falls on a Wednesday, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana, has, by Executive Instrument (E.I.), in accordance with Section 2 of the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act (Act 601), as amended, declared Friday, 3rd July 2026, as Public Holiday and should be observed as such throughout the country."
The Ministry urged all members of the public to take note and observe the holiday accordingly on Friday, July 3, 2026.
Republic Day, celebrated annually on July 1, marks the date in 1960 when Ghana became a republic under its first president, Kwame Nkrumah.
New holiday regime in Ghana
In June 2025, Parliament passed the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which returned July 1’s Republic Day to statutory holiday status.
That bill also provides for Shaqq Day as a statutory public holiday, which is observed a day after the Eid al-Fitr celebration.
The bill also deletes August 4 as Founders' Day and reinstates September 21, which is the birthday of Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah, as Founders' Day.
Parliament, under the Nana Akufo-Addo administration, approved August 4 as a Statutory Holiday in 2019, and it was first celebrated in 2021.
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August 4 was instituted to honour the various heroes and heroines who contributed to the independence struggle though it was criticised as a partisan effort spotlighting icons of the New Patriotic Party political tradition.
Critics also described August 4 as the then-President Akufo-Addo's attempt to exalt his family members, who had been part of the country’s independence struggle and undermine Nkrumah.
The president’s family members, like J.B. Danquah, William Ofori-Atta and others, are also infamously remembered for their opposition to Kwame Nkrumah and his independence struggle.
Other public holiday changes
YEN.com.gh reported that another major change in the bill empowers the President to shift public holidays that fall on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays to either the following Friday or preceding Monday, to improve national productivity and scheduling flexibility.
The bill was passed under a certificate of urgency after being presented by the Minister of the Interior on June 24, 2025, after the Committee on Defence and Interior and the leadership of the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs deemed this urgent.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
