The National Commission on Culture (NCC) has reaffirmed its commitment to using culture as a tool to promote national unity, tolerance and social cohesion across the country.
Mr Wakefield Akuaku, the Acting Executive Director of the Commission, said cultural engagement, rather than enforcement, was key to helping Ghanaians to better understand one another and appreciate the country’s diversity.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, on Wednesday in Accra, he said issues of identity, ethnicity and ownership of cultural practices should be addressed through dialogue, play and shared cultural experiences.
“For us, whatever happens in our daily lives forms part of our culture, hence debates around cultural ownership should be approached with openness and respect,” he added.
Mr Akuaku explained that the Commission’s programmes deliberately blend dances, music, languages and artistic expressions from different parts of the country to encourage interaction and mutual appreciation.
Mr Akuaku said the NCC was not positioned as an enforcement body but rather as a facilitator of cultural exchange, creating platforms where different traditions could be experienced side by side.
“When people play together, engage together and share experiences, tolerance grows naturally,” he said.
He noted that the Commission’s monthly thematic cultural programme, which runs simultaneously across all regions and districts, aims to also provide continuous opportunities for such engagement throughout the year.
According to Mr. Akuaku, the initiative ensured that cultural narratives were not dominated by a single region or group, but rather reflected Ghana’s diverse histories and traditions.
He said the approach also supported national integration by encouraging communities to tell their own stories, celebrate their heroes and share their heritage with others.
Mr Akuaku expressed concern over the reduction in traditional storytelling and interpersonal cultural transmission due to modern lifestyles and excessive reliance on technology, particularly among the youth.
To address that, he said the Commission was reviving fireside storytelling, student drama festivals and community-based cultural activities to stimulate imagination and intergenerational learning.
Mr Akuaku said the NCC’s vision was to ensure that culture remained a living, shared experience that connected Ghanaians across ethnic, religious and generational lines.
“Culture should bring us together, not divide us,” he added.