Airtel Ghana has announced that it will join hands with Friends of the Museum, a not-for-profit organization interested in the promotion of the national museum and Ghana’s cultural heritage. This collaboration was announced at a discussion series with the theme for the month: “Why Heritage Matters” hosted by Adventurers of the Diaspora (AiD).

Airtel’s support will initially involve the creation of a wifi zone within the vicinity of the national museum and the availability of Airtel Money platform to facilitate the easy transfer of donations through the Friends of the Museum network for the development and of the National Museum and its public presence.

Managing Director of Airtel Ghana, Philip Sowah said “it is important to for us to reconnect with our past as we prepare for the future. Through the power of Airtel’s 3.75G network, which we will be providing as an internet wifi zone at the museum grounds, lovers of art and culture can gather, socialize and get engaged with our heritage in a more pleasant way. This we believe will also make the National Museum an attractive place for all”.

Mr. Sowah added that Airtel will make its mobile commerce service Airtel Money available to the National Museum as a platform of raising revenue for the museum’s activities. According to him, Airtel Money service represents the future of mobile commerce as it allows customers to use their mobile phone to access banking services for the first time. Airtel Money also allows customers to send and receive money, make purchases, top up airtime and pay bills. We believe these features will help drive the resuscitation of the national museum”, Mr Sowah said.

The Minister of Information, Hon. Fritz Baffour who was a guest at the event said a nation without its culture will fail. According to him, “a lot of our problems could be traced to our inability as a nation to place our culture at the fore of our development agenda”. He commended the setting up of the Friends of the National Museum adding that it is a step in the right direction.

Friends of the National Museum is a nonprofit organization made up of members who are interested in promoting the national museum and Ghana’s cultural heritage. Its main function is to assist with the development of the National Museum and to encourage public interest in the protection of the cultural heritage of Ghana, through research, voluntary expert service, networks and collaborations and educational programs.