Ghana must urgently rethink how it documents, preserves and teaches its cultural heritage, particularly as oral traditions continue to pass stories, customs and historical accounts from one generation to another.
This was the call made by tourism curator, content creator and founder of Ghana is Beautiful, Frederick Kofi Deladem Dro, popularly known as Fluud, during an appearance on the GTV Breakfast Show.
According to him, while oral tradition remains an important part of Ghanaian culture, over-reliance on it can create room for stories and traditions to gradually change as they are passed down through generations.
“We are missing the point of properly documenting these things in their original state,” Fluud said, stressing the need for Ghana to preserve its cultural heritage through photographs, videos, written records and properly researched documentation.
He argued that traditional oral methods have played an important role in preserving Ghanaian history, but they are not always sufficient to guarantee that cultural knowledge remains unchanged.
“Sometimes, oral traditions and ways of preserving our culture are not the best of ways. We tend to add or take from its authentic form,” he explained.
He therefore called for a more deliberate system where cultural practices, festivals, traditional knowledge, historical sites, stories and indigenous traditions are documented as they exist today, supported by credible research.“If we’re able to document these things properly — in pictures, videos and writings — we will keep them in their original form,” he said.
For him, documentation should not simply mean recording a story. It must also involve researching and establishing the facts behind that story.
The tourism curator also called for Ghanaian culture to be communicated in ways that appeal to modern audiences and reach people across different demographics.
He believes television and radio still have an important role to play, particularly when cultural content is presented in an educative, informative and entertaining manner.
At the same time, he emphasized the need to prioritize digital platforms as powerful tools for reaching younger generations.
From short-form videos and documentaries to digital archives, photography, podcasts and other forms of storytelling, Fluud believes there are numerous creative ways Ghana can preserve and promote its heritage.
“The digital space gives us an opportunity to take these stories to every Ghanaian across the divide,” he noted.
Fluud also raised concerns about a disconnect between some of the things Ghanaians learn in school and the deeper cultural and historical realities behind them.
He argued that simply teaching the names of historical figures, places, festivals or cultural practices is not enough.
Ghanaians should also understand why these things exist, where they came from and what they truly represent.
“If we document and understand the real stories behind them, we get to appreciate them the more,” he said.
He believes that a deeper understanding of Ghana’s history and culture could encourage greater appreciation among Ghanaians themselves while also making the country’s heritage more compelling to international audiences.
As an example, Fluud pointed to popular historical accounts such as the story of Tetteh Quarshie and the introduction of cocoa to Ghana.
Stories like these, he argued, should be properly researched, documented and presented in engaging ways so that future generations can distinguish between established facts, oral accounts and versions of stories that may have evolved over time.
Rather than simply repeating stories because they have been passed down for generations, he believes Ghana should invest in establishing the historical record while finding creative ways to make that knowledge accessible.
The call ultimately goes beyond tourism.
For Fluud, documenting Ghana’s culture is about ensuring that future generations inherit an authentic record of who they are, where they come from and what makes their communities unique.
He believes Ghana has an opportunity to combine its rich traditions with modern storytelling, technology and research to create a cultural archive that can serve both Ghanaians and the global community.
“We should be able to preserve everything that makes Ghana beautiful,” he said, pointing to the country’s diverse cultures, traditions, festivals, languages, food, music, history and people.
As Ghana continues to position itself as a leading cultural and tourism destination, the challenge, according to Fluud, is not only to promote the culture, but first to ensure that the culture being promoted is properly understood, researched and preserved.
Because if Ghana does not document its stories while they are still alive, future generations may inherit the stories. but not necessarily their truth.
