The Upper West Council of Zongo Tribal Chiefs has launched the maiden Wa Zongo Intercultural Festival, bringing together ethnic communities from across the Wa Metropolis in a colourful celebration of shared identity, culture, and peaceful coexistence.
The ceremony, held on Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Wa, drew participation from the Yoruba, Wangara, Fulbe, Busanga, Kotokoli, Zambarima, Dagomba, Mossi, and Gusinshi communities, among others, in what organisers described as a historic first for the Zongo community in the Upper West Region.
Issah Nurah Danwana, the Wa Metropolitan Chief Executive, delivered the keynote address, describing the festival as a powerful reminder of the shared identity and harmony that define Zongo communities. He noted that the Wa Zongo enclave has long stood as a symbol of unity in diversity, where people of different ethnic backgrounds, languages, and traditions coexist peacefully, and that such diversity should be celebrated as an asset rather than treated as a barrier.
The Mayor commended residents of the Zongo community for their significant contributions to the growth of the Wa Metropolis and Ghana at large, particularly in trade, education, religion, and community leadership. He said their resilience, discipline, and strong communal spirit continue to drive development efforts and pledged the assembly’s commitment to inclusive interventions addressing infrastructure, sanitation, education, and economic opportunities.
Danwana also credited the administration of President John Dramani Mahama for policies targeting the welfare of Zongo communities, including scholarship opportunities, a reduction in Hajj fares, and initiatives such as the proposed Women Development Bank and the Soyeya Fund aimed at alleviating poverty. He further announced plans, in collaboration with the Zongo Development Fund, to construct an astroturf facility to enhance sports development in the area.
The Chief of Wa Zongo, Sarki Alhaji Sidik Gewaa, speaking through his representative Sheikh Dan Hassan, used the occasion to raise concern over the rising incidence of drug abuse among young people in the community. While commending the Mayor for efforts to address the problem, the chief appealed for urgent measures to tackle the menace and called for improved street lighting in parts of the community, describing adequate lighting as a key deterrent to social vices.
The festival, which featured traditional music, dance, and local cuisines, also served as a platform to educate younger generations on values of unity, tolerance, respect, and diversity, with organisers expressing hope that the event would become an annual tradition.
