Publish oral traditions to preserve them - UNESCO to Ghana on World Book & Copyright Day
The UNESCO Representative in Ghana, Edmond Moukala N’Gouemo, has urged the country to take deliberate steps to preserve and project its rich oral heritage by strengthening its integration into the formal publishing space.
That, he said, was because countries that failed to document their stories risked losing control of their narratives, underscoring the importance of writing and preserving Ghanaian experiences for future generations.
“We honour the pioneers who transitioned our rich oral tradition into the classic text of the mid-20th century, proving that the Ghanaian soul was as vibrant on paper as it was in the village square.
This era taught us that a nation that does not write its own stories is a nation that risks being written out of history,” he said.
Mr N’Gouemo was speaking at the 2026 World Book and Copyright Day celebration in Accra last Thursday on the theme: “From our Roots to the World: Reading Ghana, Writing the Future.”
World Book Day
Celebrated globally on April 23, the World Book and Copyright Day promotes reading, publishing and copyright protection.
Last Thursday’s event featured a Book Party and dialogue to foster stakeholder engagement, promote Ghanaian literature, and address challenges within the book industry, including access, copyright protection, and support for local authors and publishers.
The Ghana Publishers Association organised the event, in collaboration with the Creative Arts Agency, the Ghana Publishing Company Limited and UNESCO, also honoured four of the nation’s living literary legends, Professor Martin Owusu, Prof. Kofi Anyidoho, Prof. Lade Wosornu and Dr Mawuli Adzei, with citations and symbolic gifts.
Ghana’s literary tradition
Mr N’Gouemo further stated that the country’s relationship with books predated the printing press, rooted deeply in oral storytelling traditions, symbols and indigenous knowledge systems.
He said those traditions had historically been transformed into written literature, forming the backbone of the country’s publishing industry, and stressed the need to sustain that trajectory to safeguard national identity.
Mr Moukala N’Gouemo lamented challenges such as piracy, high production costs and weak distribution systems, urging stakeholders to collaborate to build a resilient and globally competitive publishing ecosystem.
Power of books
The Executive Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Ziblim Alhassan Betintiche, said the commemoration was a celebration of the profound work of books to transform lives, bridge generations, and open doors to endless possibilities.
“Books remain a vital link between the past and the future, preserving knowledge while inspiring new ideas,” he added.
He appealed for support under the Adopt-a-Library programme and from UNESCO to expand infrastructure, equip facilities and deploy mobile library vans, and emphasised respect for copyright, partnerships with stakeholders and urged citizens to use libraries.
