Fugu weavers in the Feo community in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region have climaxed their apprenticeship mock examination for the year.
The examination, held at Feo Primary School on Saturday, March 1, 2026, saw more than 60 apprentices who have successfully completed three years and six months of training participate as they prepare for their final graduation.
Some of the apprentices and master weavers raised concerns about challenges facing the sector and called on authorities, NGOs, individuals and the government to support the weaving industry in the region. They cited low market patronage, inadequate training facilities and limited financial support as major obstacles.
According to the weavers, there is low demand for locally handwoven products, which are often overlooked in favor of cheaper alternatives. They also pointed to the lack of structured markets to sell their finished products and difficulty in accessing loans to purchase raw materials in bulk or upgrade their equipment.
“Weavers in Feo are struggling because of low patronage of our products,” said Madam Masida Adongo Rafic.
“Our major challenge is low patronage. Another issue is the machines we use in weaving the smocks. We do not have enough. We want to appeal to the government to support us with these machines so we can train more youth and produce more smocks for customers.”
She added that addressing these challenges is critical to sustaining the cultural industry and reducing unemployment in the Upper East Region.
The artisans are therefore appealing to the government to invest in the sector through low-interest loans and to consider establishing a weaving college or center in the Upper East Region to serve as a centralized hub for training and production.
A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Moses Anaba Azubire | Feo
