President John Dramani Mahama has urged parents, teachers and traditional leaders to make the teaching and speaking of local languages a priority among children to help preserve Ghana’s cultural heritage.
According to the President, indigenous languages play an important role in maintaining cultural identity, strengthening family ties and ensuring that traditions are passed on to younger generations.
He made the call at the Guan Congress 2026 held at Anum in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region.
The congress brought together traditional leaders, Guan communities and cultural groups to promote unity, preserve the identity of the Guan people and discuss development within Guan communities.
The event returned to Anum after 30 years, providing an opportunity for members of the Guan communities to reconnect and deliberate on issues affecting their traditional areas.
In a speech read on his behalf by the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, President Mahama urged Ghanaians, regardless of their ethnic background, to speak their indigenous languages at home and encourage children to learn them.
He said the Bureau of Ghana Languages was prepared to collaborate with Guan communities to develop the orthography of their various languages, which would support efforts to document and preserve them.
The President said the preservation of indigenous languages should not be left to traditional authorities alone, stressing the role of parents and teachers in ensuring that children remain connected to their linguistic and cultural roots.
The National President of the Guan Congress and Ankobeahene of Larteh Ahenease, Enyineh Gyadu Nkansah III, said the congress was established to bring Guan communities together and harness their collective resources for development.
He appealed to President Mahama and the Constitutional Review Committee to consider reviewing aspects of the Chieftaincy Act to give chiefs who are not represented on the Houses of Chiefs meaningful roles in the traditional governance system.
According to him, such reforms could contribute to resolving chieftaincy disputes and promoting peace.
The guest speaker for the congress, Buipewura Abdulai Jinapor II, Paramount Chief of the Buipe Traditional Area, also called on Guan chiefs to unite and speak with one voice on issues affecting their communities.
He urged traditional authorities to protect Guan lands from encroachment while advocating for their communities to benefit fairly from national development.
He further encouraged the chiefs to support policies and initiatives that would protect the interests of present and future generations.
