Achimota School has become the only senior high school in Ghana to be featured on a banknote, following the introduction of the Bank of Ghana’s new Cedi Heritage Series.
The school appears on the reverse side of the new GH¢5 banknote, while the front carries the portrait of renowned educationist Dr James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey, whose legacy is closely associated with the institution.
The Head of the Currency Management Department at the Bank of Ghana, Dominic Owusu, said the decision to feature Achimota School was deliberate and followed consultations with the central bank’s management and other stakeholders.
Speaking at the official launch of the Heritage Series at the Bank Square in Accra on Thursday, November 12, 2026, Mr Owusu explained that the design was intended to establish a connection between the personalities honoured on the notes and the institutions or symbols associated with their contributions to Ghana.
He said the Bank of Ghana considered Dr Aggrey’s association with Achimota School in selecting the institution for the GH¢5 note.
“It wasn't chosen by mistake. A lot of thinking went into it with the management of the Bank of Ghana, with a number of stakeholders, to make sure that we look for a mixed school and a school that has a primary and a secondary and has everyone in it,” he said.
Mr Owusu also noted that the GH¢5 note carries an Adinkra symbol representing education, reinforcing the theme of the denomination.
The Cedi Heritage Series seeks to showcase Ghana’s history, culture, commerce, religion, education and national identity through the designs of the banknotes.
The new notes are expected to enter circulation on December 1, 2026, and will circulate alongside existing cedi notes, which will remain legal tender.
