By Hafsa Obeng
Accra, Nov. 14, GNA – A delegation from Guyana, led by Deputy Mayor, Denise Althee Miller, is in Ghana to explore opportunities for collaboration in the areas of culture, tourism, and the creative arts.
The delegation paid a familiarisation visit to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, where the members were received by the Deputy Minister, Mr Yussif Issaka Jajah.
The visit forms part of the Guyanese delegation’s broader mission to immerse themselves in Ghana’s culture and explore investment and partnership opportunities within the creative and tourism sectors.
Their meeting sought to deepen the historical and cultural connections between the two nations, both of which share deep-rooted ties through history, language, and heritage.
Deputy Mayor Miller highlighted the longstanding historical and political relations between Ghana and Guyana, tracing Guyana’s revolutionary history to Ghanaian ancestry.
“Our national heroes, Kofi, Kwamena, and Damon, were all of Ghanaian descent. If you look at Guyana, you will see the reflection of your culture in our food, our behaviour, and our traditions. Coming together is simply a homecoming for us,” she said.
Ms Miller touched on the strong political connections between Guyana’s leadership and Ghana’s independence movement, saying Guyana’s first President, Lyndon Forbes Samson Burnham, drew inspiration from Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, for his pioneering role in Pan-Africanism and the struggle for independence.
Queen Mother Atiang, President of the Ghana Day Association in Guyana, also emphasised the deep cultural bonds shared by the two countries.
She said many Guyanese cultural expressions closely mirrored Ghanaian traditions, from cuisine to family and community celebrations.
“A lot of us see ourselves as ethnic Ghanaians. We pound fufu just like you do, we even have similar rituals for naming babies and marriage ceremonies. We are now learning more about the details of those traditions we share,” she said.
Queen Atiang said Guyana continued to celebrate Guyana Day around Ghana’s Independence anniversary in March and Emancipation Day on August 1, both of which commemorate the shared history and resilience of African descendants.
Mr Jajah, on his part, noted that Ghana recently hosted the Afro-Gastro Competition, which brought together African-descendant countries such as Barbados, Colombia, and Peru, and suggested similar partnerships with Guyana to celebrate shared gastronomy and cultural heritage.
“A Guyana–Ghana Culture Week would be a wonderful opportunity for mutual benefit. It will help us raise the flags of both countries higher through our shared history and creativity, and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening ties with Guyana,” he said.
“We are more than ever ready to partner with you in any aspect that has to do with culture, tourism, or the creative arts. Our doors are open because we are all brothers and sisters, Guyana is home to us, just as Ghana is home to you.”
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe