The Writer
Recently, Ghana’s quintessential “national treasure”, the Kente cloth, made international headlines, having been given by UNESCO a ‘uniquely-Ghanaian-so-stay-off, copycats’ protection. At long last!
According to media reports:
Ghana’s iconic cultural fabric, kente, has officially been stamped with global recognition as the nation’s first-ever Geographical Indication (GI) product.
A Geographical Indication is essentially an intellectual property right that ties a product to its roots, guaranteeing that its quality and reputation stem from where it originates.
For producers and communities, this protection translates into stronger brand value and bigger economic opportunities.”
The announcement event, organised by the Registrar General’s Department in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organisation, was held on September 30, 2025, at the La-Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra.
“With this recognition, Kente now stands shoulder to shoulder with global treasures like Champagne from France, Tequila from Mexico and Darjeeling tea from India, products so deeply rooted in place and tradition that they are fiercely protected by international law.
“For Ghana, this means that kente is officially and exclusively Ghanaian, guaranteeing authenticity for buyers worldwide while offering new economic lifelines for local weavers and communities.”
The Geographical Indication Status
As a source further clarifies: “Under the GI status, only kente cloths woven using traditional techniques and in approved Ghanaian communities are allowed to use the name, as the law protects Kente as Ghana’s intellectual property. Bonwire, Agotime Kpetoe, and Sakora Wonoo are the towns where Kente is traditionally woven and approved by the Ghana Ministry of Tourism.
“Only kente crafted in the selected communities may lawfully be sold as kente thanks to the new GI law. Previously, the Ghana Copyright Act of 2005 (Act 690) protected kente styles and designs from being duplicated, however, it was limited in protecting kente from third-party manufacturers.”
Another source, the Hinkro Consultancy, adds that with this recognition: “The mass-produced imitations can no longer carry the name ‘kente’.”
Although the coveted recognition happened last month, conceivably the campaign started long ago. It gained momentum in 2024, at a meeting on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. There, the then Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Andrew Egyapa Mercer “made a call to safeguard Ghana’s intangible cultural heritage further.” On behalf of Ghana, he nominated kente to be listed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Congrats to all the successive officials who were involved in the quest; and a big thank you to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
The historic, uplifting feat, reminded me of my own Kente story. It was an article I wrote about an embarrassing situation I observed concerning Ghana’s First President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, during a holiday in the UK in June, 1977, when I visited one of London’s most famous tourist sites.
MY 1977 ARTICLE, ‘The forgotten Nkrumah’:
“One of the most popular tourist places in London – and indeed the world is Madame Tussauds waxworks museum. It is no ordinary museum, as the name implies.
“In this museum are life-like wax models of historical, famous and notorious personalities from all over the world. People like the footballer, Pele, the Beatles, novelist Agatha Christie, Emperor Haile Selassie, Muhammad Ali and Adolf Hitler.
“Some, like President Kaunda of Zambia, are so realistic that one almost speaks to the statues. The realism is helped by the fact that the wax figures are wearing actual clothes of the persons represented – usually donated by the persons themselves or their relatives.
“Naturally, among the world leaders past and present is the kente-wearing model of the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who certainly needs no adjectives anywhere in the world. However, there is a disturbing factor about the statue of Dr. Nkrumah: it needs a new kente.
“I believe the statue was made in 1958 and since then the figure has been wearing the same cloth which is on show almost every day of the year, under bright lights. It is no wonder, therefore, that the kente cloth is faded and shabby.
“According to a Madame Tussauds official, the models are cleaned from time to time and when it is noticed that the clothes are worn, they usually write to the people concerned for a change of clothing, especially where the people live in Britain. She could not tell if such a request had been made about Dr. Nkrumah.
“In 1974 when Ghana officials in America noticed that the kente cloth Ghana presented to the United Nations was faded, a request was made for a replacement and this was done by the Government through the then Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Lt-Col Kwame Baah.
“Likewise, I believe that if the Government had been informed about the situation, Dr. Nkrumah’s cloth would have been changed long ago. I hope that when the change is made, it will please be kept in mind that it should be changed every few years.
“Apart from helping to keep his memory alive, I can think of no better way to advertise Ghana – the one and only home of the magnificent kente cloth – absolutely free of charge, than at Madame Tussauds where all the world meets.
“A new kente for Kwame Nkrumah, please.”
(Published in the Mirror, weekly, in the ‘Thoughts of a Native Daughter’ column, on Friday, June 24, 1977.)
I recall that after my publication, a senior official of the Ministry of Information, a Mr. Mensah, assured me that a new kente was being sent to Madame Tussauds. However, I don’t recall any publicity about it.
Therefore, it was gratifying to learn from a Ghana News Agency report, that on September 20, 1999, a new kente cloth, was presented to Madame Tussauds to mark (what would have been) the 90th birthday of Osagyefo. Vice-President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, “made the presentation on behalf of the President, Flt-Lt Jerry John Rawlings.” So, it was probably a second replacement.
FAST FORWARD TO 2025:
Following the UN recognition, and in line with the Champagne, Tequila and Darjeeling standard, the capitalisation, it appears that from now on we should be writing the word with a capital ‘K’, Kente cloth. Also, as the weavers usually give interesting names to their creations, part of the Kente appeal, that could also be highlighted.
SUGGESTIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT; ATTN. DZIFA GOMASHIE, MINISTER FOR TOURISM, CULTURE AND THE CREATIVE ARTS
As I proposed in 1977, I think it should be official policy that wherever Kente cloth has been donated to an institution, especially one abroad, for public display, every few years, a replacement should be sent, without any prompting from the recipients.
Furthermore, such Kente gifts should have an accompanying inscription stating the name of the Kente and from which town. That would give them deserved credit; and also serve as a good promotion for Ghana, Kente and the town.
Secondly, after achieving the enviable UNESCO protection, shouldn’t we as a people show more respect for Kente, aptly described elsewhere as “a national treasure”?
In times past, kente was KENTE, virtually thought of in capital letters, so revered! Its cachet and high-price, meant that it was afforded mostly by chiefs, queen mothers and the super-rich.
Now such is the ‘democratisation’ of Kente that there is what I term ‘Kente abuse’; its disrespectful use. It includes imitation ones from China and other countries; copied designs on some of the ubiquitous “Ghana-must-go’ plastic bags and a host of other mundane products.
Most troubling of all, Kente has long been the preferred tablecloth at many official and other functions. To me this is irreverence, even desecration!
Imagine a guest of honour at an event turning up in what they think is a splendid Kente for the special occasion, only to find that the cover on the high table where they are sitting is a Kente!
I recall that years ago, in an article, I applauded the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) for what looked like a custom-made tablecloth for their events, which they had obviously taken the trouble to make very different from Kente. I hope GNAT still sticks to that commendable practice.
Mind you, I speak as an apologetic, converted Kente abuser! In my youth, as a student in a boarding school, I took to school an old piece of Kente cloth I found at home and proudly used it as my bed cover. With hindsight, that was quite inexcusable! Needless to say, my dormitory mates who, like me, didn’t know any better, were quite envious of my special bed decoration!
But as an adult, I formed the strong opinion that Kente deserves to be treated with reverence, not only because it is a superb, handwoven work of art, which UNESCO has now acknowledged, but, equally importantly, because it is uniquely Ghanaian.
Also, although it may be politically wrong, against democratic principles, perhaps we even need a regulation about what Kente should not be used for – starting with a ban on its use as a tablecloth, including imitation Kente!
Furthermore, maybe to complement the GI status, there should be an office dedicated to educating people on the UNESCO recognition, keeping track of necessary donation replacements, and handling all matters related to our unparallelled national treasure, KENTE.
By Ajoa Yeboah-Afari