A communications team member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region, Daniel Agengre, is calling for traditional attire to become a regular part of Ghanaian life rather than being reserved for cultural events or specific commemorative months.
Speaking on A1 Radio, Agengre said promoting Pan-African identity must go beyond symbolism and be embedded in everyday practices. While he welcomed initiatives such as the Tourism Ministry’s Wednesday “Fugu Day,” he argued that traditional wear should be formally adopted across both public and private institutions.
He suggested that corporate bodies, including banks and other organizations, designate specific days for staff to wear African prints, similar to existing dress code policies.
“That is why I applauded the Tourism Ministry’s decision to make Wednesday Fugu Day,” he said. “If we can extend it to various institutions — for instance, Ghana Commercial Bank having Friday as a traditional wear day — it would help normalize it.”
Agengre also urged a shift in public perception that associates suits and ties with professionalism and status while viewing traditional attire as inferior.
“We have colonized our own mentality to believe that anyone wearing a suit is a ‘big man,’ while the one wearing African print is seen as poor or less competent,” he said. “We must institutionalize it within our various establishments to change that mindset.”
He further called on schools to take the lead by enforcing existing traditional wear policies and introducing designated days for students to dress in Ghanaian fabrics, noting that such policies are often poorly implemented.
Agengre maintained that Ghanaian fabrics symbolize unity, identity and strength and should not be reserved only for funerals and festivals. He encouraged Ghanaians to embrace traditional wear as part of daily life to strengthen cultural pride and reshape national consciousness.
“Let us begin to imbibe the mentality that this fabric represents our ideology,” he said. “It is our strength and a form of unity for us as a people.”
A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Gifty Eyram Kudiabor | Bolgatanga
