Independence Arch, Triumphal arch in Black Star Square, Accra, Ghana

The Independence Arch is a triumphal arch of concrete and stone at Black Star Square in Accra, standing on a raised platform with stairways on either side. A tall pale arch rises above a long cream-and-yellow horizontal structure with upper and lower decks, rows of small windows and railings, and a central bay holding a small white canopy suspended by thin cables. Below the canopy sits a dark crest on the facade, and the wide angled legs at the base frame a view of the water behind.

Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first prime minister and president, commissioned the arch after independence on 6 March 1957. It was completed in 1961, in time for Queen Elizabeth II's state visit, by Ghanaian contractors and G.N.C.C., part of Solel Boneh International Ltd. Ghana was the first independent state in sub-Saharan Africa, so the arch also marks the start of African decolonisation.

The arch is marked by the Black Star of Africa, Ghana's national emblem, rather than by flag colours. The square around it was laid out to host national parades, independence anniversaries and state ceremonies, and it still serves that role. The lower chamber is mostly reserved for dignitaries and heads of state attending events there.

The arch stands on a raised platform with stairways on either side, and its lower chamber is mostly reserved for dignitaries and heads of state while the upper tier holds office spaces. As of 2011, visitors could not approach the monument closely without authorization because of an active military presence. Photographing the arch itself was often restricted, though pictures of Independence Square and the Black Star Gate were allowed.

The arch was completed in 1961 by Ghanaian contractors and G.N.C.C., part of Solel Boneh International Ltd, in time for Queen Elizabeth II's state visit. Its design has been linked to Eero Saarinen's Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis. The lower chamber is reserved for dignitaries and heads of state; the upper tier holds office spaces.