The Northern Ghana Foto Festival has gained strong cultural backing after a private meeting with the Yagbonwura, Overlord of the Gonja Kingdom. The visit, held at the palace and marked by traditional rites and prayers, signaled clear support for the festival and its focus on visual storytelling as a tool for culture and tourism.
The Yagbonwura praised the festival’s purpose and applauded young photographers for using images to showcase Northern Ghana and Ghana to the world. He said photography can preserve heritage, correct false perceptions, and build national pride, and urged the team to stay true to their culture, values, and discipline.
Savannah Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Alhaji Sulley Ahmed, said the festival goes beyond art, describing it as “a development tool, a cultural archive, and a strategic tourism promotion platform.”
“In today’s world, images speak louder than brochures, and visual stories travel faster than words,” he said. “What this festival is doing is redefining how the world sees Northern Ghana beyond stereotypes to stories of beauty, resilience, creativity, and opportunity.”
He added that the festival supports the Authority’s goal of positioning the Savannah Region as a top tourism destination and pledged continued support for initiatives that promote responsible tourism and positive storytelling.
Team Lead of the Northern Ghana Foto Festival, Geoffrey Buta, said the audience with the Yagbonwura was a defining moment for the team.
“This moment affirms that our work matters not just as photographers, but as custodians of memory and identity,” Buta said. “We are intentional about telling our own stories, from our own perspective, with dignity and truth.”
He explained that the festival was created to challenge long-standing narratives about Northern Ghana and Africa, using photography to preserve culture, advocate for communities, and drive social change.
“We are not waiting for the world to define us,” he added. “Through this festival, young people are reclaiming the narrative and showing the richness, complexity, and beauty of our communities.”
Buta thanked the Yagbonwura for his encouragement and the Ghana Tourism Authority for its support, stressing the importance of collaboration between traditional leaders, creatives, and public institutions.
The Northern Ghana Foto Festival brings together photographers and visual storytellers through exhibitions, workshops, and community activities that highlight culture, heritage, wildlife, and everyday life in the north.
With backing from the Gonja Kingdom and tourism authorities, the festival is gaining recognition as an important platform for cultural diplomacy and creative tourism in Ghana.
Organizers say their focus remains clear: to tell honest stories, empower young creatives, and present Northern Ghana as a place of global cultural importance.
