Dzifa Gomashie is the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has explained the reasons for her outfit’s decision to select Wednesdays for the wearing of Fugu.
It could be recalled that on February 10, 2026, Gomashie, through the Ministry had selected the day with the aim of preserving, promoting, and celebrating Ghana’s rich cultural heritage.
However, some individuals questioned why Friday wasn’t selected since it was already seen as a day for the wearing of African wear among the formal working class.
Explaining her decision on the Point of View with Umaru Sanda which was aired on February 24, Gomashie noted that Wednesday was chosen to deliberately spotlight Fugu.
“The Friday wear is an opportunity for you to wear anything that’s Ghanaian or African on Friday.
“But to be deliberate about promoting Fugu, we had to give it a day. And I thought that it just looked and sounded right to make it a midweek wear,” she explained.
Government declares Wednesdays for wearing Fugu
She, however, noted that the wearing of traditional African clothes should be an everyday affair and not just for specific days.
“My point is, wear your African clothes every day…that’s what keeps the money here. That’s what keeps the money in the country… We’re promoting heritage… and all of it together is what makes tourism thrive,” she said.
Gomashie added that citizens should not wait for government directives before embracing locally made attire.
“So, my point is you shouldn’t even wait for me to tell you or suggest to you that you should wear Fugu on Wednesday. You should decide that everyday you going to wear something that identifies us,” she said.
The wearing of Fugu became an international topic earlier in February after President John Dramani Mahama wore the attire during a visit to Zambia.
Some social media users in Zambia had labeled the attire as a blouse, sparking an online feud, with many Ghanaians taking to social media to spread education and awareness of the attire.
The highlighting of traditional products like the Fugu and Shea Butter forms part of the Ministry’s broader strategy to boost cultural tourism, local textile production and economic retention through heritage-driven consumption.
ID/AM
Meanwhile, watch GhanaWeb’s exposé on the ‘dark side of Kayamata’ and its devastating impact
