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Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, the National Coordinator for the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), is calling on Ghanaians to make traditional attire a part of their weekly routine by wearing it every Friday to help promote and preserve the country’s rich culture. In an interview on Channel One TV’s Face to Face on Tuesday, October 21, Vanderpuye, who describes himself as an "ambassador for Ghanaian culture and tradition," encouraged others to join him in celebrating Ghana's heritage through visible and consistent expressions of cultural identity. “I have made myself an ambassador for our Ghanaian culture and tradition, and I think that all of us, if we can do it one way or the other, it will help,” he said. Mr. Vanderpuye shared that he had recently proposed a simple yet impactful initiative to the Minister of Culture and the CEO of the Ghana Tourism Development Company, Kobby Mensah, encouraging all civil and public servants to wear traditional clothing every Friday. “Last week, I was talking to the Minister of Culture and also talked to Kobby Mensah, and I told them — why don’t we go back to every Friday — every woman, public service, civil service, government, everybody — all the women in kaba, all the men in traditional attire?” he said. Drawing inspiration from other West African nations, Vanderpuye pointed to countries like Senegal and The Gambia, where similar practices are already part of daily life. “If you go to Senegal, you go to Gambia, that is what they do. So it is important that we look at it,” he added.
