Kpokpoi Sprinkling, Hunger Hooting, Homowo Celebration
The 2025 Homowo festival in Ga Mashie, Accra, culminated on August 16 with vibrant celebrations in James Town and Bukom. Crowds filled the streets, joined by drumming, musket firing, and women in red cloth carrying steaming kpokpoi, a maize dish symbolizing triumph over famine.
Ga Mantse Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II led the sacred kpokpoi sprinkling across 21 Ga stool houses, officially launching the festival. Gbese Mantse Nii Ayi-Bonte II sprinkled kpokpoi from his palace to Ussher Fort, retracing traditional routes, drawing indigenes, tourists, and diaspora.
Homowo, meaning “hooting at hunger,” commemorates the Ga people’s survival of famine during their migration to Accra, marked by abundant maize harvests. The festival, starting with maize sowing in May and a 30-day noise ban, fosters unity and heals community rifts.
The processions, led by traditional rulers, attracted over 10,000 participants, boosting local tourism by 15% compared to 2024. The event showcased Ga cultural heritage, with elders and chiefs reinforcing communal bonds through rituals and feasting, a practice dating back centuries.
Photos taken during 2025 Soo Bii Homowo Celebration in Accra, Ghana 🇬🇭 Africa. pic.twitter.com/lUEFOCbhwh
— Typical African (@Joe__Bassey) June 14, 2025
The festival’s climax, filled with chanting and dancing, underscored its role in preserving Ga identity. The Ghana Tourism Authority promoted the event, highlighting its cultural significance and drawing international visitors to experience Accra’s rich traditions.