Bolgatanga: The Upper East Region is preparing fervently to host the 2025 edition of the PANAFEST/Emancipation Day celebration, with the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) leading the charge to ensure a successful and memorable event.
According to Ghana News Agency, this year's event officially begins on the evening of July 17 and includes a durbar of chiefs and people of the region on July 18, at the Pikworo Slave Camp in Nania, near Paga, in the Kassena-Nankana West District. The celebration will feature a blend of cultural, historical, and artistic activities aimed at reflecting on the transatlantic slave trade, showcasing the uniqueness and rich culture and values of the region, and promoting Pan-African unity and development.
This year's celebration is themed 'Let us speak of reparative justice -The Pan-African Artistic Activism,' and will include cultural dance performances, reenactments of the slave trade, exhibitions, and free health screening services for participants and community members. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, Mr. Wisdom Ahadzi, the Upper East Regional Director of the GTA, disclosed that significant progress had been made in preparations towards beginning the nationwide activity.
He mentioned that almost all relevant stakeholders, including the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs), and traditional authorities across the region, have been actively engaged in the planning process. Additionally, the GTA is collaborating with the Upper East Regional Filmmakers Association to provide theatrical performances and other forms of entertainment to enhance the experience for visitors and participants.
'The PANAFEST/Emancipation will now always begin from this region, and we are encouraging everyone, locals and tourists alike, to participate fully,' Mr. Ahadzi stated. 'We believe tourism, when harnessed well, can serve as a strong catalyst for local development, and we are calling for broad support to make this a reality.'
The PANAFEST/Emancipation celebration will commence at the Pikworo Slave Camp and continue through significant slave routes in Ghana, eventually culminating in activities in the southern parts of the country. Initially established in 1704, the Pikworo Slave Camp served as a transit point where captives were kept, auctioned, and resold at the Salaga Slave Market in the then Northern Region, now the Savannah Region.
The slaves were made to trek about 150 kilometers south to the Salaga Slave Market, through Bono Manso in the Bono East Region, Assin Manso, Cape Coast, and then to the Elmina Castle in the Central Region, before being transported to Europe. The celebration's climax is set for August 2.
PANAFEST (Pan-African Historical Theatre Festival) and Emancipation Day have become key events on Ghana's tourism calendar, offering a platform for Africans and people of African descent to reconnect with their roots, reflect on the legacy of slavery, and promote reconciliation and cultural revival.
