‘Ngoryiza’ means ‘lifting each other up’
The 2025 Ngoryiza Festival in Ziope ended on a high note with the Edem Community Development Concert, powered by rapper Edem and his Gogetem Foundation.
The concert, named ‘Ngoryiza’ which means “lifting each other up” reflected the festival’s growing reputation as a bridge between culture and development.
Running from August 22 to 31, the week-long Ngoryiza celebrations turned Ziope into a festive hub with activities such as Borborbor Night, Old School Night, a Unity Walk, the Mama Ngoryiza Beauty Pageant, and a football gala.
The Grand Durbar on August 30 brought together Togbe Kpordoave Ahiagba IV, Dufia of Ziope, Mamaga Norkuawuwo VI, Paramount Queen Mother of the Ziope Traditional Area, and dignitaries including Hon. Charles Agbeve, MP for Agotime-Ziope, Hon. Alfred Eklu Odikro, DCE of Agotime Ziope District, Dr. Emmanuel Atsu Dortor, Volta Regional Health Director, alongside industry personalities and guests from across Ghana and abroad.
In his remarks, Togbe Kpordoave Ahiagba IV praised the GHC 350,000 raised during the 2024 festival, which enabled the completion of a 4-bedroom staff bungalow for health professionals, officially handed over this year.
He urged the community and partners to surpass that effort in 2025, as the new targets include a medical ward and an ICT laboratory for Ziope JHS.
For Edem and the Gogetem Foundation, the ICT project is important hence they are supporting the community to establish one.
The foundation has been actively supporting development projects in Ziope, and this year’s focus is to provide young people with access to digital tools that will prepare them for global opportunities.
“Education and technology are the future,” Edem told the audience at the Ngoryiza Festival. “If we give our young people access to the right tools, they can compete anywhere. That’s what Ngoryiza Festival is about—lifting our people to higher opportunities.”
The concert itself drew thousands, with Volta Region artists including Chief One, Agbeshie, Real Keddy, and Kush Elikem joining Edem on stage to thrill audiences and spotlight emerging talent.
The night reaffirmed music’s power as both entertainment and a driver of social change.
Ngoryiza 2025 concluded with a thanksgiving service and a final football game, where Humble FC beat 11 Wise FC 2–1 to win the tournament.
A town hall meeting on September 5 provided the community with a draft account of proceeds and outcomes.
The Ngoryiza Planning Committee expressed gratitude to the chiefs, elders, cultural leaders, and sponsors whose support made the festival possible.
Special thanks went to Donwill Hotel, Yasik Water, Villaggio Ice, Ultimate Cooperative Credit Union, GIC Distillery, Victor Electronic, TWG, M Tickets, Avenor Rural Bank, and Ewe 24 TV.
As the people of Ziope look toward 2026, the message of Ngoryiza remains: together, communities can lift each other higher.
