The call was made during the yam hailing ceremony
The chiefs and elders of Klefe in the Ho Municipality of the Volta Region have appealed to the government and private investors to support the development of tourism and stone-winning activities in the community.
They said such investment would help transform the annual Klefe Yam Festival into one of Ghana’s best and most recognised cultural festivals.
The call was made during the yam-hailing ceremony, an annual activity that involves a long procession, accompanied by traditional prayers, singing and dancing, from the main entrance of the community to the main township to welcome the arrival of the new yam harvest season.
The ceremony was held ahead of the 2026 Klefe Yam Festival durbar and fundraising event, scheduled for Saturday, September 26, 2026.
Klefe also hosts some of the best hospitality facilities in the region and is home to attractions such as Mountain Tokpo and the Adidi Waterfalls, which are associated with prehistoric legends.
Speaking to journalists, the traditional authorities highlighted Klefe’s rich natural resources, cultural heritage and scenic environment.
Klefe is a hill township located in the Akwapim-Togo Range, about a 10-minute drive from Ho. It is popularly known as the “Stone City” because of its rich deposits of schist, a flat decorative stone widely used for decorating the walls of houses and other buildings.
Togbe Tsatsu Addo XVIII, Divisional Right-Hand Chief of Klefe, said stone-winning remained one of the most lucrative economic activities in the community and required greater attention from the government and private investors.
He said investment in the sector would create jobs and generate revenue for local development.
“We want the government to shift attention more to almost all the economic activities we have here; they can come and invest in our stone-winning. It is very lucrative,” he said.
He noted that many of the attractive stone designs seen on buildings in Ho and other parts of the Volta Region were produced from stones quarried at Klefe, describing the community’s stone as among the best for home construction and decoration.
Togbe Addo also called for investment in the community’s tourism sites, particularly its waterfalls and forest reserves, saying the development of such attractions could create employment and provide additional sources of revenue for residents.
According to him, Klefe’s green environment also contributed significantly to the clean atmosphere of Ho, popularly described as the “Oxygen City” of Ghana.
“Klefe has very good vegetation. We don't encourage felling of trees, and all around here, you can clearly tell when you enter that it's a different environment altogether; there is no pollution,” he said.
He said the preservation of the community’s forest reserves was itself an attraction capable of drawing tourists, particularly as natural environments were becoming increasingly important for recreation and ecotourism.
Mr Evans Kwami Buami, Chairman of the Klefe Yam Festival Planning Committee, also appealed to the Ghana Tourism Authority to support the development and promotion of the festival.
He said several major hospitality facilities, including Volta Serene, Sky Plus, Chances Hotel and African Hills Hotel, were located on Klefe land, but tourists staying at those facilities often travelled to other communities to visit attractions because local sites had not been adequately developed.
He appealed to the Ho Municipal Assembly and the Ghana Tourism Authority to collaborate with the government to develop the sites, including fencing parts of the forest reserve and introducing suitable attractions to enhance visitors’ experiences.
He said the festival had the potential to become one of the major cultural events in the Volta Region, drawing comparisons with well-promoted festivals such as Homowo and the Kwahu Easter celebrations.
“Our major priority for Klefe is to be able to make the Yam Festival one of the best in the region. When we talk about Yam Festivals, this should be the hub,” he said.
Mr Buami explained that the annual yam festival was rooted in thanksgiving for a good harvest and served as an avenue for preserving the cultural traditions of the people.
He, however, noted that climate change had affected farming activities and reduced yields in the community.
Despite the changing weather patterns, he said farmers had harvested enough to support the celebration and expressed hope that future festivals would be organised on a larger scale.
Mr Buami further encouraged the youth to pursue technical and vocational education, saying proceeds from the festival were channelled into supporting technical and vocational education.
He described skills training as essential to helping young people secure livelihoods and contribute to national development.
Mr Charles Gatse, an elder of the community, said the festival should not be viewed solely as an occasion for entertainment but also as an opportunity for young people to network and learn from experienced members of society.
He urged the youth participating in the celebration to build meaningful relationships, seek advice and identify opportunities that could help shape their future.
The elders also appealed to residents and stakeholders to maintain unity and hospitality while inviting the public to join the grand climax of the festival on September 26, 2026.
They expressed the hope that increased government and private-sector investment in tourism, agriculture and stone-winning would unlock Klefe’s economic potential, create jobs for the youth and position the community as a major tourism and investment destination in the Volta Region.
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