British Museum Director Visits Otumfuo, Tours New Manhyia Museum as Opening Date Is Set
- British Museum Director Nicholas Cullinan has toured the Manhyia Palace Museum and paid a courtesy call on Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in Kumasi on Wednesday
- His visit comes as the loan of Asante artefacts held by the British Museum to the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi approaches its next phase
- The new Manhyia Palace Museum will be inaugurated on January 8, 2027, a date selected by the Asantehene, according to museum director Dr Ivor Agyeman-Duah
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The Director of the British Museum, Nicholas Cullinan, has toured the new Manhyia Palace Museum and paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, in Kumasi.
Source: Facebook
His visit on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, comes as the loan agreement covering Asante artefacts held by the British Museum approaches its next phase.
In 2024, the British Museum loaned 15 gold and silver items looted from the Asante Kingdom during the Anglo-Asante wars to the Manhyia Palace Museum.
According to Al Jazeera, the Victoria and Albert Museum loaned another 17 items, bringing the total to 32. Both loans were for an initial three years, with the option of renewal.
Kumasi was the first stop for the British Museum delegation, which arrived in Ghana on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Nicholas Cullinan tours new Manhyia Palace Museum
Opemsuo reported that Cullinan was led on a tour of both the existing museum and the yet-to-be-commissioned new museum.
Guiding him were Manhyia Palace Museum Director Dr Ivor Agyeman-Duah and Curator Justice Brobbey. At the existing museum, he was taken through Asante culture, traditions and the chieftaincy institution.
The new building, which is undergoing interior fitting and display setup, was the next stop on his tour. He was also shown the new storage and conservation laboratories under construction.
Accompanying him throughout the visit was Horatio Lovering, head of the British Museum director’s office.
The Facebook post from Manhyia Palace, which shares photos from Cullinan’s tour of its museums, is below.
Otumfuo receives British Museum director at Manhyia
After the tour, Cullinan paid a courtesy call on Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace. During the interaction, he reflected on the 18-year partnership between the British Museum and the Manhyia Palace Museum.
“We are very proud of this partnership. Thank you for your leadership,” he told the Asantehene.
Following the courtesy call, the Asantehene held a closed-door meeting with the team. In attendance were Manhyia Palace Chief of Staff Kofi Badu, Head of Protocol Ernest Sarhene and Deputy Chief of Staff Lawrence Akwasi Prempeh. Dr Agyeman-Duah was also present at the meeting.
Below are some Facebook images of the British Museum Director and Otumfuo during the visit.
Otumfuo picks date for new museum’s opening
Museum director Dr Agyeman-Duah announced during the visit that the new Manhyia Palace Museum will be inaugurated on January 8, 2027.
Opemsuo reported that the date was selected by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. Updating the Asantehene on preparations, the museum director said the artefacts for the exhibition had already been selected.
The new edifice will replace the existing museum, which was originally the residence of the occupants of the Golden Stool.
Manhyia loan deal nears its next phase
According to Dr Agyeman-Duah, Cullinan’s visit to Kumasi aims to strengthen the five-year Memorandum of Understanding between the palace and the British Museum.
Beyond Kumasi, the delegation is also expected to meet officials at the British High Commission and other stakeholders.
Cullinan’s visit comes as the three-year renewable loan of the Asante artefacts nears its next phase. Details of what the next phase will involve have not been made public.
Otumfuo builds ICT block at alma mater
In an earlier report, YEN.com.gh disclosed that Otumfuo Osei Tutu II had built a 400-capacity ICT block for his alma mater, Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School (OKESS), in the Ashanti Region.
The OKESS Old Students Association chairman, Ernest Owusu Ansah, made this known in an interview on Opemsuo Radio on October 29, 2026.
According to him, the facility, which is yet to be commissioned, will be officially opened at an appropriate time for students to use.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
