Ghana has increased the number of local languages with standardised writing systems from 11 to 16, as part of renewed efforts to preserve the country’s linguistic heritage and expand the production of educational and reading materials in Ghanaian languages.

The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, said three of the newly standardised languages—Kusaal, Likpakpaanl and Sisaali—had already been formally launched, with the remaining two expected to be completed as part of the Government’s broader programme to promote Ghanaian languages.

She disclosed this in Accra on Monday when she took her turn at the Government Accountability Series to brief the public on the performance of the Ministry and its agencies.

According to the Minister, the standardisation programme is intended not only to document Ghana’s indigenous languages but also to make it easier to produce reading, teaching and learning materials for use in schools and communities.

Three new orthographies launched

Madam Gomashie said the Bureau of Ghana Languages (BGL) launched the standardised orthographies for Kusaal, Likpakpaanl and Sisaali on June 23, 2026.

Kusaal is spoken predominantly by the Kusasi people in the Upper East Region, while Likpakpaanl is associated with the Konkomba people and Sisaali with the Sisaala people.

The standardised orthographies are expected to provide a common writing framework for the languages and support the development of educational materials, publications and other forms of written communication.

The Minister said three additional standardised orthographies would be launched before the end of the year, bringing the total number of standardised Ghanaian languages to 16.

She said the initiative formed part of efforts by the Ministry and the BGL to strengthen the use and preservation of Ghanaian languages and ensure that indigenous languages remain relevant across generations.

Focus on education and learning materials

Madam Gomashie said standardising the languages would facilitate the production of reading and learning materials in the various Ghanaian languages for use in schools.

She said the availability of standardised writing systems was important to the development of books and other educational resources, particularly for children learning in their mother tongues.

The initiative is also expected to support the wider documentation and preservation of Ghana’s linguistic diversity by creating agreed conventions for writing the languages.

The Minister said the Government’s language preservation agenda was based on the recognition that indigenous languages formed an important part of the country’s cultural identity.

Ahanta language also standardised

The Ministry and the BGL have also collaborated with the Member of Parliament for Ahanta West, Madam Mavis Kukua Bisue, to launch the orthography of the Ahanta language.

Madam Gomashie said the initiative was intended to support the development of reading and learning materials in Ahanta and strengthen efforts to preserve the language.

The development of the Ahanta orthography forms part of a broader effort to ensure that more Ghanaian languages have the tools necessary for written communication and educational use.

Ghana Languages Dialogue

The Minister said the BGL organised the Ghana Languages Dialogue in November 2025 to educate stakeholders and the public on the importance of speaking, documenting and preserving Ghanaian languages.

She said the dialogue was intended to generate greater awareness of the need to maintain the use of indigenous languages at a time when some languages face declining use among younger generations.

Madam Gomashie said the Ministry also organised the Ghana Languages Festival in July 2025 to encourage Ghanaians to speak their mother tongues and pass them on to the next generation.

The festival formed part of the Ministry’s efforts to make Ghanaian languages and cultural practices more visible and relevant, particularly among young people.

Culture through cartoons

Beyond formal language standardisation, the BGL is also exploring creative methods of introducing Ghanaian languages and culture to children.

Madam Gomashie said the Bureau was undertaking an animation project that would use Ghanaian languages and cartoons to introduce children to aspects of Ghanaian culture.

“The rationale behind is to introduce our culture to Ghanaian children through cartoons,” she said.

The project is expected to combine language, storytelling and animation to make Ghanaian cultural content more accessible and attractive to children.

Mother languages to receive continued attention

The Minister said the Ministry would continue to use the annual International Mother Language celebration, held on February 23, to showcase Ghanaian languages and promote their preservation.

She said the celebration would remain an important platform for raising public awareness about the value of indigenous languages and encouraging their transmission from one generation to another.

The Government’s expanding language-standardisation programme, she said, was therefore not limited to developing writing systems but formed part of a broader cultural preservation agenda.

The increase from 11 to 16 standardised languages, together with ongoing work on additional orthographies, educational materials, cultural festivals and animation content, is expected to strengthen efforts to keep Ghanaian languages in everyday use and ensure that they remain an integral part of the country’s cultural heritage.