The Overlord of the Gonja Kingdom, Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale I, will travel to Anloga in Ghana’s Volta Region on 7 November 2026 to attend this year’s Hogbetsotso Za.
Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale I will be Guest of Honour at the festival’s grand durbar, where he is expected to address traditional leaders, national dignitaries and members of the public.
His attendance is expected to reinforce cultural relations between the Gonja and Anlo people and encourage closer cooperation between the two traditional areas.
The invitation was formally delivered to the Yagbonwura at Jakpa Palace in Damongo last Friday. The delegation was led by Togbui Amey Zegu II on behalf of the Awoamefia of Anlo Dukor, Togbi Sri III.
The 2026 celebration will be held under the theme: “Anlo, Our Heritage and Our Values: Striving to Build One Ghana for a Better Tomorrow.”
Hogbetsotso Za marks the migration of the Anlo-Ewe people from Notsie, in present-day Togo, to their current homeland. The movement followed their escape from the rule of King Agorkorli I.
Festival programme
Togbui Zegu II said the annual event would give the Anlo people an opportunity to consider the principles that had preserved their identity over generations.
Those values include unity, resilience, courage, discipline, communal responsibility and respect for tradition.
He said the festival programme would also be designed to draw tourists, provide support for local businesses and encourage wider participation from the community.
One of the central events will be the sitting-in-state of the Awoamefia and his paramount chiefs. That ceremony will be followed by a grand durbar featuring traditional performances and displays from the different states of Anlo Dukor.
National dignitaries are also expected to take part in the durbar.
Togbui Zegu II assured the Yagbonwura and his delegation that suitable protocol and hospitality arrangements would be made for their visit.
He also wished the Overlord of the Gonja Kingdom continued success in advancing peace, prosperity and development among the Gonja people and throughout Ghana.
Invitation accepted
Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale I accepted the invitation and described the festival as an important opportunity for the Gonja and Anlo kingdoms to renew their relationship and expand cooperation.
He said the people of Gonjaland and Anlo had historical links stretching back centuries.
The visit, he added, would help strengthen those ties and promote a deeper understanding of the two communities’ shared cultural connections.