David Adjaye breaks silence on National Cathedral, defends it as economic and cultural landmark for GhanaI

Award-winning Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye has mounted a defence of Ghana's controversial National Cathedral project, describing it as not merely a place of worship but as a strategic national asset capable of driving tourism, economic growth, cultural education, and urban renewal. Speaking at a public lecture hosted by the College of Art and Built Environment at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on the theme "African Futures: Architecture, Identity and the Power of Cultural Narratives," Adjaye directly addressed the project that has dominated public debate in Ghana for years. I want to talk about a project which is very controversial in our country because I can't let the elephant be in the room. There's no point. And I know that this project has caused a lot of heartache with lots of people." The architect said many Ghanaians have not had the opportunity to hear the thinking behind the design from the architects themselves.

He argued that one of the strongest justifications for the National Cathedral lies in its potential to attract religious tourism, which he described as one of the world's most reliable tourism sectors.

"One of the most enduring and most productive injections of GDP into a country is religious tourism. In case you did not know, what do you think the Vatican is?"

According to him, research conducted during the project's development convinced the team that Ghana could benefit significantly from becoming a destination for faith-based tourism.

He maintained that such visitors often contribute positively to local economies and communities.

"If you're going to create engines of economic uplift, this is a great model more than concerts for music."

A key point in Adjaye's presentation was that the project was never intended to function solely as a cathedral.