An exhibition and book launch on northern Ghana life was held over the weekend in Tamale. The event also marked the commencement of a two year project that would allow interested persons to learn and develop their skills in photography at the learning centre for photography and research for free, in Tamale.
The project championed by Francis Nii Obodia, an international photographer of Nuku Studios, attracted traditional rulers from the Dagbon and Gonjaland as well as people from academia, photographers of repute and the general public.
The 250 page high quality publication; is a collection of photos of various aspect of northern life particularly the Dagomba and Gonja people; from culture to religion, gender and socio-economic life. It span from the old time to the contemporary.
It forms part of a 5 year project launched in 2015 by the Nuku studios and partners like the Noorderlitcht Photo foundation based in the Netherlands, the University for Development Studies (UDS) and other professionals who are using the act of photography backed by research to capture and document Northern Ghana’s traditional history.
Speaking at the ceremony that preceded the exhibition and book launch, a researcher at the Northern regional House of chief, Mr. Kupiel, expressed concerns over the monetization of chieftaincy processes, resulting in conflicts. He thereby threw a challenge to the UDS to develop an interest in the documenting succession lines to the various chieftaincy skins in the area.
In his brief remarks, Vice-chancellor of the UDS, Prof. Gabriel Ayum Teye praised the collaboration so far. Prof. Teye also spoke on the forward.
Henri Wientjes, a popular Dutch man involved in agri-inputs dealership and one of the brains behind the Northern Ghana Life project had this to say.
Traditional rulers including the Nanton regent, the Tuluwewura and a host of others were happy with the photo project and pledged further support to documenting their rich cultural heritages.
