The Ministry of the Interior has announced that although Tuesday, July 1, 2025, marks Republic Day, the public holiday will officially be observed on Friday, July 4, 2025.

This was made known in a statement issued on Thursday, indicating that the declaration was made by President John Dramani Mahama through an Executive Instrument (E.I), in line with Section 2 of the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act, 2021 (Act 601).

“The general public is hereby informed that Friday, 4th July 2025 has been declared a Public Holiday and should be observed as such throughout the country,” the statement said.

The announcement follows the passage of the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days (Amendment) Bill, 2025 by Parliament on Wednesday, June 25.

The new legislation removes the controversial August 4 Founders’ Day from the national calendar and reinstates September 21—the birthday of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah—as the official Founders’ Day.

Announcing the change on the floor of Parliament, Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak explained that the decision was taken to foster national unity.

“We’ve taken out the 4th August as Founders’ Day because we believe, as a country, there is no national consensus around it and it has become a source of division among Ghanaians,” the minister stated.

He added: “We have reinstated September 21 as Founders’ Day, to honour Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the founder of our nation and the one who led us to independence.”

The amendment also officially recognises July 1 as Republic Day and elevates it to the status of a full public holiday, commemorating Ghana’s historic transition to a republic in 1960.