Ghana is a beautiful place to be when it comes to our cultural heritage. Our cultural pride stems from various historical antecedents that have evolved over time.
Ghana has a heterogeneous cultural background due to the multiplicity of ethnic groups in the country. Though several assertions have been made that the plethora of ethnic groups could interfere with the development of the country, little has been said about investing in culture and its use as a tool for development.
The most ideal catalyst for development is one which according to World Decade for Cultural Development, is based on the creative capacity of the people, potentials that resonate with them, and also the assembling of all the other forms of cultural expressions.
All the aforementioned factors ensure uniformity or a point of convergence in articulating a positive drive for development. In short, every symbolic activity and heritage of the various ethnic groups in the country can be summed up or seen through the eyes of their traditional festivals.
Festivals in the Ghanaian context normally last a week with a well-structured and planned set of activities after consultation with all major stakeholders including the traditional leaders, community social leaders, and in some cases, the political representatives of the traditional areas.
This decentralized process seeks to empower the local people in decision-making and ultimately enjoins them to be a part of the development at the local level.
Some of these festivals in Ghana include Odwira, Bugumchugu, Yam, Homowo, Bakatue, Asafotufiam, Oguaa Fetu Afahye, Hogbsetso, Akwasidae, Kundum, just to mention but a few.
Our festivals are the true definition of who we are, our identity, our way of life, our religious beliefs, and our royal pride.
They do not only depict the cultural ingenuity of a people, but also throws light on their history or foundations, brings about communal introspection, and serves as an inspiration for fostering a sense of unity and encouraging development
These festivals apart from the grandeur and traditional sparkle that comes with it, serve as a great platform to emphasize communalism and other values like love, hard work, and peace for the people. These variables are great hallmarks that create the aura to nourish and promote development.
All these values communicated during festivals stimulate citizens to have a sense of belonging, acceptance, and pride of ownership hence the need for patriotism and comradeship in their thought and behavioural patterns.
Riding on the back of all these festivals are developmental agendas that are introduced and implemented for the good of the society.
These development projects serve as a platform to bridge the gap between the urban and rural areas and attract the support of all indigenes and in some cases foreigners who grace these occasions with their presence.
More often than not, people who contribute significantly to the development of their traditional areas are given recognition and applauded during festivals and this serves as inspiration for others to join the development bandwagon thus serving as role models for the local folks especially children.
Generally, the festival in Ghana has been seen in the light of traditional religion and worship which has let to their watering down and lack of involvement by people who do not associate themselves with traditional religion.
These sentiments through myopic are as a result of the significant role traditional religion plays in festivals.
However, these religious practices cannot be said to equate to the holistic concept of celebrating festivals and the larger picture of opportunities that can be harnessed through festivals to promote development.
Genuine concerns have also been raised regarding the negative influence of foreign cultures and technology on our festivals leading to a drop in participants on these occasions.
Nevertheless, our culture needs to be restructured to suit modernity and the changing time; fusing our traditions with trending concepts and technology which can only go a long way to not only enhance the beauty of our festivals but give them more meaning and make them resonate with the local youth and also attract more tourists and investment into the country.
Even in the face of resistance in the proliferation of modern lifestyle, festivals still serve as a reminder for the future sustenance of our traditional values and beliefs for nation-building.
Nicely put by Professor Kevin Macdonald of African Archaeology, UCL that;
“Heritage is part of the development and this is a battle African is still fighting” and I believe this is a battle we must win as Ghanaians.