Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has called on all of Africa to seize the “fugu brouhaha”—which began in Zambia and has now propelled the Ghanaian traditional smock to global acclaim—as a frenzy to market unique products from diverse African countries to one another.
The Speaker expressed shock that the smock/fugu, worn by Ghana’s first President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, looks strange to African compatriots. “Over centuries, the smock has been so popular—and possibly predates the blouse—in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and other West African countries that I am still unable to come to terms with the fact that it is completely strange in another African region,” he intimated.
Rt Hon Bagbin encouraged the youth to leverage the power of social media to market African products and ideas. “I encourage the Gen Z’s in particular to capitalize on this social media buzz to intentionally market Africa to Africa. Intentionally promote our unique products and ideas from and to all corners of our beloved continent.” Parts of the statement read.
Since taking office in 2021, the Rt Hon Speaker has made it a policy to wear various dresses from diverse cultural backgrounds in Ghana and across Africa. He believes Africa’s enormous cultural potential remains underexposed to many parts of the continent and the world.
Posting on his Meta page, the Rt Hon Speaker expressed optimism that Africa can develop faster if all countries on the continent get exposed to each other’s cultures.
