Nii Kwardey Ntreh is a cultural activist and storyteller at the Ga Mantse’s Palace
“Oobakɛ,” a word most Ghanaians claim never to have heard before, has suddenly become a topic of discussion in recent times.
In recent days, members of the Ga community have been advocating for the word to appear on welcome signages across Accra, particularly at key national landmarks such as the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Kotoka International Airport.
While many admit they only encountered the word recently, with some assuming it simply meant “welcome”, cultural experts say there is more to it.
According to Nii Kwardey Ntreh, a cultural activist and storyteller at the Ga Mantse Palace, “Oobakɛ” carries a deeper meaning and has long been embedded in Ga culture.
“‘Oobakɛ’ means you shall surely come. See, there is an expectation inbuilt when we speak with the long opening vowel. It’s a future participle. ‘Oobakɛ’ means we expect foreigners to come and live with us,” he explained in an interview on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z on August 30, 2025.
Nii Kwardey Ntreh went on to say that the greeting is not commonly used in daily conversations.
Instead, it’s more likely to be heard among traditional leaders and elders, which is why many people are unfamiliar with it. In everyday speech, most Gas simply say “atuu.”
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The push for “Oobakɛ” began after some members of the Ga community noticed that the Ga word for “welcome” was missing from the signage at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
The signage captured greetings in Akan and Ewe but omitted Ga.
Campaigners also turned their attention to Kotoka International Airport, demanding that the famous “Akwaaba” sign be replaced with “Oobakɛ,” since the edifice is sitting on Ga soil.
Not long after, images circulated online showing that the airport signage had changed to the Ga greeting.
But the Ghana Tourism Authority clarified that those images were AI-generated, and the actual sign at the airport still says “Akwaaba.”
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