Traditional fabric producers in the Bono East Region are using Ghana’s Heritage Month to press the government for targeted investment, affordable credit and stronger market access, warning that the economic potential of the country’s weaving industry remains locked behind structural barriers that annual celebrations alone cannot resolve.
Heritage Month, observed throughout March, encourages Ghanaians under the theme “See Ghana, Eat Ghana, Wear Ghana, Feel Ghana” to actively patronise local culture, food and traditional attire in the weeks leading to Independence Day on March 6. But artisans in Techiman and surrounding communities say the enthusiasm generated each year rarely translates into sustained commercial support.
Financing Remains the Core Barrier
Mr. Safianu Ali, President of the Techiman Smock Weavers Association, said most producers in the region operate without access to institutional finance, relying instead on personal savings and informal contributions pooled among association members to keep their businesses running.
“Inaccessibility to financial support to expand our businesses is a major challenge. Most of us depend on our small capital to continue operating,” he said. Mr. Ali called for deliberate efforts to connect weavers with investors and link producers to export markets, arguing that such support could generate jobs across the broader textile value chain.
Fellow weaver Mr. Abubakari Nurudeen acknowledged the government’s National Apprenticeship Programme for helping young people gain skills in traditional crafts, but said the programme needs to be widened and better funded to make a meaningful difference. He urged commercial banks and other financial institutions to design affordable credit products specifically for artisans needing to purchase raw materials or modernise their equipment.
Declining Patronage Threatens Kente Survival
Madam Veronica Amoamah, a Kente weaver based in Tuobodom, said falling day-to-day demand for the fabric is putting pressure on producers even as Kente’s international standing grows. She called on the government to introduce a policy requiring workers in public and private institutions to wear Kente on designated days, arguing that structured demand within formal settings could revive the market and anchor cultural identity in everyday life.
The concern carries added weight given Ghana’s recent international gains for the industry. In September 2025, Ghana formally launched Kente as a Geographical Indication, granting it global protection through the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), while UNESCO had earlier inscribed the craftsmanship of traditional woven Kente on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024. Those milestones, weavers say, have yet to translate into improved livelihoods on the ground.
Industry checks indicate that many weavers in Bono East operate from nearby towns including Kintampo, Nkoranza and Atebubu, with only a small number present at workstations at the Centre for National Culture (CNC) regional office during working hours, a sign of the operational fragility facing the sector.
