Excerpts of a BBC interview with Komla Afeke Dumor during Ghana @ 50

Where and when were you born?

Accra, Ghana 3rd October 1972

Do you identify yourself as Ghanaian or African or by some other marker?

Ghanaian/African; ethnicity is a non-issue for me.

Who is your Ghanaian hero and why?

Kwame Nkrumah because of his courage; he lived and died for the Ghana and Africa that he believed in.

What football team do you support back home?

The Black Stars and whichever local team is playing an international match.

How often do you visit home?

As often as I can. I can't go more than four months away from Ghana, unless I'm tied down by work, which really seems to be the case these days.

What is the first thing you do when you arrive?

Unpack and give the kids their toys while searching the fridge for Ghanaian beer.

Where is your favourite place to be when you are in Ghana?

At home with my family or walking the dogs or driving on an empty road; thinking, meditating and planning.

What do you always bring back to London from your trips home?

Ghanaian chocolates - the best in the world, period.

Ghana is celebrating 50 years of independence. What do you think is the country's best gift to the world?

Ghanaians. Hardworking, intelligent, generally decent people - who play damn good football by the way.

What does the day of the anniversary mean to you?

Everything. It defines who I am. I am extremely proud of what we have achieved over the years. But like many people I think we would have done much more if we would stop accepting mediocrity as excellence and defending incompetence for political expediency.

I am particularly proud that the national anthem played on this day was composed by my grandfather, Philip Gbeho.

What is the best thing about being Ghanaian?

People expect you to be good, talented or hardworking - or dribble a football(which I can't do), because our reputation precedes us.

When I flunked out of medical school in Nigeria one of my professors (a Nigerian) said to me in shock. "You're not supposed to fail, man! You're a Ghanaian!"

I guess I let the nation down that time. haha!