The Adentan Municipal Assembly (AdMA) has organised the 2026 edition of the AdMA Homowo Festival, also known as Homofest, to promote indigenous Ga cuisine, encourage the consumption of locally prepared Ghanaian foods and preserve the cultural heritage of the Ga people.
The event, held on Friday, October 9, 2026, at the forecourt of the Assembly in the Greater Accra Region, was organised in collaboration with the Centre for National Culture, Greater Accra, under the theme, “Celebrating Ga Culinary Culture.”
The celebration brought together stakeholders, traders, schools and community members to showcase traditional Ga dishes and highlight the importance of preserving indigenous food preparation practices for future generations.
The programme was led by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Adentan, Hon. Ella Esinam Christine Nongo, and the Member of Parliament for Adentan, Hon. Mohammed Adamu Ramadan.
A major attraction was a cooking competition featuring indigenous Ga meals prepared by participants drawn from the Ogbojo Market, Adentan Shopping Centre and selected departments within the municipality.
The competition provided an opportunity for participants to demonstrate their culinary skills while introducing residents to traditional Ga dishes and encouraging greater appreciation of local food culture.
Speaking to 1960news.com during the event, the MCE, Hon. Ella Esinam Christine Nongo, said the initiative is part of the Assembly’s annual efforts to promote the Homowo Festival and encourage residents to embrace Ghanaian culture through food.
Hon. Ella Esinam Christine Nongo, MCE, Adentan Municipal Assembly (AdMA)
She explained that the Assembly brought together stakeholders to prepare and showcase traditional meals, with particular emphasis on Ga cuisine because Adentan is located in the Greater Accra Region.
“As part of efforts to promote Homowo Festival, we in Adentan Municipality brought together some of our stakeholders to come together and cook to promote the consumption of Ghanaian meals,” she said.
She added that the focus on Ga dishes was intended to familiarise residents with traditional meals and encourage their continued consumption.
Among the dishes showcased at the festival were Apa Prense, Ga kenkey and Kpekpele, which the Assembly sought to promote as part of the community’s culinary heritage.
According to the MCE, the event is not a one-off initiative but an annual programme designed to bring residents together and strengthen their connection to Ghanaian traditions.
She assured residents that the Assembly would continue to support initiatives aimed at preserving and promoting indigenous culture.
Although the Homowo celebration had been held, she said the Assembly remains committed to supporting traditional institutions and other stakeholders in their efforts to sustain the cultural practices of the Ga people.
MCE engaging a cook during the cooking competition
The MCE also explained that traders were deliberately included in the programme to ensure they benefited economically from the celebration.
She said the Assembly invited market women and other traders to participate in the cooking competition while also displaying their goods and produce for sale to visitors.
According to her, the arrangement was intended to provide traders with an additional source of income on a day when their participation in the festival could otherwise affect their regular trading activities.
“We invited the market people because they are part of our stakeholders. So they are not just cooking, they are also exhibiting what they sell for the people to also purchase,” she told 1960news.com.
She explained that allowing the traders to display and sell their goods would help reduce potential losses arising from their participation in the programme.
The initiative, she said, is designed to combine cultural promotion with economic opportunities for local traders, enabling them to showcase their products while contributing to the celebration.
The Assembly’s approach reflects an effort to make cultural events beneficial not only for heritage preservation but also for the livelihoods of residents and small-scale businesses within the municipality.
The MCE further observed that efforts to encourage the use of Ghanaian clothing and other indigenous cultural expressions are helping to promote national identity.
She cited initiatives encouraging Ghanaians to wear traditional attire, including the promotion of Fugu on Wednesdays and African prints on Fridays, as examples of ways to encourage greater appreciation of local culture.
According to her, such initiatives can contribute to a broader acceptance of Ghanaian traditions and encourage citizens to take greater pride in their cultural identity.
She said the Assembly would continue to support programmes that promote local customs, traditional foods and other cultural practices within Adentan.
Meanwhile, Mrs Patricia Oppong Agyemang Tuffour, Cultural officer of the Adentan Municipal Assembly, has called on corporate organisations to support the Homofest initiative through sponsorship and other forms of assistance.
She said increased corporate participation would help strengthen the programme and create opportunities to promote indigenous Ga foods beyond local communities to international markets.
Mrs Patricia Oppong Agyemang Tuffour, Municipal Culture Officer, Adentan
According to her, sustained investment in the festival could help raise awareness of traditional Ga cuisine, improve its visibility and create opportunities for local food producers and businesses.
She stressed the importance of collaboration among the Assembly, private-sector organisations, traditional authorities and other stakeholders in ensuring the long-term success of efforts to preserve and promote Ga culinary heritage.
Mrs Oppong Agyemang Tuffour also disclosed that the Assembly plans to engage schools within the municipality to encourage the teaching and preparation of indigenous foods among pupils.
She said introducing children to traditional food preparation from an early age would help them appreciate their cultural heritage and develop an interest in preserving it.
The proposed engagement with schools is expected to complement the annual cooking competition by extending the promotion of indigenous cuisine beyond the festival grounds and into the educational environment.
By encouraging pupils to learn about traditional ingredients, recipes and cooking methods, the Assembly hopes to nurture a new generation that understands and values the culinary traditions of the Ga people.
The Homofest celebration forms part of the Assembly’s broader efforts to support traditional institutions and sustain cultural practices within the municipality.
In August 2026, the Assembly donated food items, drinks and cash to 12 traditional councils in Adentan as part of preparations and support for the Homowo celebrations.
The items included 150 gallons of palm oil and 100 bags of maize, alongside other supplies intended to support the traditional councils.
Beneficiary communities included Ogbojo, Adentan, Otanor and Adjiringanor.
The donation underscored the Assembly’s engagement with traditional authorities, whose involvement remains important in preserving and transmitting the cultural practices associated with Homowo.
Homowo, a major festival celebrated by the Ga people, is associated with the commemoration of a historic period of famine and the eventual abundance of food. The festival also serves as an occasion for communities to renew social bonds, honour their heritage and pass cultural traditions on to younger generations.
Through Homofest 2026, the Adentan Municipal Assembly is seeking to complement these longstanding traditions with practical initiatives that promote indigenous cuisine, support local traders and encourage the younger generation to take an active interest in Ga culture.
The Assembly’s emphasis on cooking competitions, school engagement and corporate partnerships is intended to broaden the reach of the festival and create opportunities for traditional Ga foods to gain greater recognition within Ghana and internationally.
By 1960news.com
