Who designed Ghana's national flag, first adopted in 1957?

Theodosia Okoh designed Ghana’s national flag, first adopted in 1957.

Okoh was a Ghanaian artist and teacher whose design replaced the British Gold Coast’s Blue Ensign when Ghana became independent. The flag was adopted on 6 March 1957, the date the Dominion of Ghana achieved independence from British rule.

Its horizontal red, gold, and green bands draw on colors associated with Ethiopia and the wider Pan-African movement. The central black five-pointed star is often called the “Black Star” and symbolizes African freedom and unity. The red, gold, and green arrangement made Ghana’s flag especially influential across the continent.

The flag was used from independence until 1962, then restored in 1966 after the overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah. Its design later influenced flags such as those of Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe. Theodosia Okoh is sometimes confused with Nigeria’s Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, but the two designers created different national flags in neighboring West Africa.