The Jamestown Lighthouse became a center of attraction ahead of the festive season when Stanbic Bank lit up the edifice on Accra’s coastline on Wednesday, December 23.

Residents of Jamestown and its environs as well as commuters along the Atta Mills High Way thronged the Jamestown Lighthouse in excitement to catch a glimpse of the cultural monument come to life with beams of light.

Speaking at the launch of what Stanbic Bank calls the ‘LitXmas’, Mawuko Afadzinu, Head of Marketing and Communications at Stanbic Bank said the ‘LitXmas’ project is a very significant one for the bank because they believe in lighting up lives.

“The Jamestown Lighthouse was originally built in 1871, just a year after Standard Bank was formed so being here is in keeping with the Standard Bank tradition and the things that have sustained us over the years. The Lighthouse is a representation of the potential of Ghana and Africa to thrive and become beacons of economic success. We are here because we believe in lighting up lives. By touching the community we are touching the lives of the people here particularly in a year that has been very difficult for us all”, Mawuko Afadzinu said.

Mawuko Afadzinu encouraged the crowd that had gathered to remember to keep safe even as they have fun during the festive season. He noted that “Given that this year has been particularly difficult, we are all entitled to have some fun, but as we enjoy ourselves, we must endeavour to maintain all the COVID-19 safety protocols. The pandemic has thought us is that our safety lies in the safety of our communities”.

In advising customers of the bank and the general public to be safe, he encouraged them to use Stanbic Bank’s digital channels any time they need banking services as that is a sure way to keep safe during the Christmas season. Members of the community who participated in the fun activities won prizes ranging from traveling bags, T-Shirts, pens, waist bags, and shopping vouchers.

  

The event was part of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s (AMA) ‘Light Up the City’ Christmas project. The initiative was introduced by the AMA last year as part of its efforts to project the city of Accra. It involves the visual transformation of some major road corridors and monuments into thrilling Christmas lighting displays that give the city of Accra a facelift.

Located in the Jamestown neighbourhood of Accra, Ghana, the Jamestown lighthouse is a 28-metre (92 ft) structure was originally built in the 1930s, replacing an earlier lighthouse that had been built in 1871. It consists of a stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a keeper's house. Both Lighthouse and Keeper's House are painted in red and white horizontal bands.