The Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, has called for greater recognition and preservation of Africa’s cultural heritage, including the contributions of traditional healers, spiritual leaders and custodians of indigenous knowledge.
He said indigenous knowledge systems and African spirituality had sustained communities for generations and remained critical to the continent’s identity and development.
The Ga Mantse made the call at the Ga Traditional Council in Accra when he outlined the vision for the Ga Mantse Sacred Crown Awards, a new initiative to honour individuals and institutions contributing to African heritage, spirituality and wellness.
He said the preservation of African heritage must go beyond festivals and ceremonies to include the documentation and protection of the people, knowledge and practices that had shaped communities over generations.
King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II expressed concern that despite the large number of award schemes in Ghana and elsewhere, traditional healers and other custodians of indigenous knowledge had received little recognition for their contributions.
He said many practitioners had spent their lives serving communities and preserving traditions without receiving the recognition accorded to personalities in other sectors, a gap the Sacred Crown Awards seeks to address.
The Ga Mantse also called for an end to the stigmatisation of African spirituality, describing it as an integral part of Africa’s history and cultural identity.
He stressed that recognising African spirituality did not undermine Christianity, Islam or other religions but rather acknowledged the diversity of belief systems that had shaped African societies.
King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II said documenting indigenous knowledge had become increasingly important as modernisation continued to influence how young people related to their cultural roots.
He said Ghana could also derive significant economic benefits from its heritage, noting that the awards would help promote cultural tourism, strengthen the creative and cultural economy and increase the international visibility of Ghanaian traditions.
The awards, he added, would also recognise the wellness sector and practitioners whose work had contributed to the well-being of individuals and communities.
The Ga Mantse expressed confidence that the scheme would develop into a credible annual platform attracting participation from Ghana, other African countries and the diaspora.
Speaking at the event, the Divisional Queen Mother of Lante Djan We, Naa Lamley Ajaaku Dromo II, warned that modernisation and globalisation could gradually erode African identity if deliberate measures were not taken to protect languages, festivals, fabrics, stories and traditional practices.
“Heritage is memory with a pulse. It is our language, our festivals, our fabric and our stories. If we do not protect it, modernisation will quietly erase it,” she said.
Naa Lamley urged Africans to take greater responsibility for promoting and celebrating their heritage rather than depending on external recognition.
“We keep exporting our culture and importing our validation. Kente appears on someone else’s runway before it is celebrated on ours, while our healers are studied abroad before they are honoured at home,” she stated.
She said the spirituality category of the awards would be inclusive, with Christians, Muslims and practitioners of traditional religion assessed based on their service and contributions to society.
Nana Esi Nyira, a Board Member of the Sacred Crown Awards, said the initiative would spotlight groups whose contributions often went unnoticed, including artisans, traditional leaders, cultural practitioners and young people. She called on corporate institutions and other stakeholders to support the initiative.
Ghanaian musician and multi-instrumentalist Okaidja Afroso said music remained a powerful tool for preserving cultural identity and reconnecting younger generations with their roots.
He said music from his Jaku Mo project, which had been selected for the Sacred Crown Awards, was developed to encourage young people to appreciate their cultural identity and draw inspiration from their heritage.
The Office of the Ga Mantse also announced the appointment of Princess Duncan as Chief Executive Officer of the Sacred Crown Awards, with Ms Mills as Project Director and Naa Lamley Ajaaku Dromo II as Publicist and Consultant.
The Ga Mantse Sacred Crown Awards will be held on October 31, 2026, at the Dome of the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra.
The awards will recognise individuals who have distinguished themselves in spirituality, wellness, the creative arts and other fields, with honorary recognition reserved for personalities with about 40 years or more of distinguished service.
Individuals with about 20 to 30 years of significant contribution to the Ga State and Ghana will also be recognised, while nominees in the competitive categories will undergo professional assessment, stakeholder evaluation and public voting.
Source: Isaac Kofi Dzokpo/mydailynewsonline.com
