Okuapehene Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III, the Paramount Chief of the Akuapem Traditional Area, has formally announced the 200th anniversary of the Akuapem Odwira festival, set for September 2026.
The announcement highlighted key details of the celebration, including the launch date and proposed activities.
The launch is scheduled for March 5, 2026, at the Okuapehene’s palace.
Present at the ceremony were members of the public, clergy, queenmothers, and the five divisional chiefs under Okuapeman – the Kronti, Adonten, Gyase, Benkum and Nifa divisions.
The Odwira Festival is a major annual cultural and spiritual event marked by the people of Akuapem and several Akan communities in Ghana.
Addressing the gathering, Oseadeeyo Akuffo III said the festival symbolises purification, a period of thanksgiving, the honouring of ancestors and a commemoration of the 1826 victory over the Ashanti army.
He said the 200th anniversary would offer “an opportunity to reflect on the journey, appreciate the present and look forward to the future.”
Ahead of the celebration, an Odwira Secretariat has been established, with a seven-member committee inaugurated to manage administrative work, maintain records and oversee the secretariat’s functions.
Oyeeman Osim Kwatia II, Gyasehene of the Akuapem Traditional Area, outlined proposed activities that included the creation of an exhibition centre (a temporary Odwira museum), an artistic reenactment of Odwira history and rituals, divisional cultural showcases, a fireworks display and a candlelight vigil.
Other planned events include public lectures across all divisions, an Odwira quiz competition for schools, a historical presentation on Tetteh Quarshie and cocoa heritage, tree-planting and environmental initiatives, a forum on “Okuapeman and the Church: Historical and Cultural Reflections,” and the launch of Akuapem endowment fund.
Rev. Isaac Yao Boamah, the palace chaplain, pledged the clergy’s support through prayers for a peaceful and successful anniversary.
He said that several individuals also promised donations of cash and items to support the celebration.