By: Nana Karikari, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent
What we covered here
- The “Fugu” Controversy: How initial Zambian critiques of the President’s attire as a “blouse” sparked a viral defense of West African cultural identity.
- Parliamentary Solidarity: Coverage of today’s scenes in Accra, where Ghanaian MPs wore smocks to the chamber in a unified stand for national pride.
- Tax & Trade Clarification: Details on the Zambia Revenue Authority’s (ZRA) move to exempt single fugu imports for personal use from all taxes, while maintaining duties on commercial quantities to protect local markets.
- Tangible Policy Wins: A look at the 10 landmark agreements signed, most notably the visa-waiver deal and the Bilateral Air Services Agreement.
- The Big Picture: How this visit sets a new precedent for “Made-in-Ghana” branding and strategic resource sovereignty under the AfCFTA.
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has concluded a significant three-day state visit to Zambia aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and exploring new trade frontiers. While the diplomatic agenda focused on the Ghana-Zambia Business Dialogue, the trip became defined by a piece of clothing. This visit underscores how personal branding and cultural symbols can overshadow traditional policy discussions in the digital age. Mahama sought to position Ghana as a key partner in Southern Africa while simultaneously advocating for the “Made-in-Ghana” campaign on an international stage. The President reiterated that his wardrobe is a deliberate choice, stating, “All my clothes are made in Ghana by our designers. This is what I wear every day—to work and at official functions.”
Genesis of the Cross-Border Cultural Debate
The online friction began almost immediately after images of President Mahama’s arrival in Lusaka surfaced on February 4, 2026. Zambian social media users, unfamiliar with West African textiles, began questioning the flared silhouette of the President’s attire. Some commenters jokingly referred to the garment as a “blouse,” a term that did not sit well with Ghanaian observers. This linguistic misunderstanding quickly escalated into a spirited digital “war” between the two nations. “To be honest, most of us here had never seen a leader wear something so voluminous and flared,” said Chansa Mwape, a Lusaka-based social media influencer. “We thought it was a fashion faux pas, but we quickly learned it was a warrior’s statement.”
Regional Diversity and the Zambian Perspective
The unfamiliarity of Zambian observers with the fugu highlights the vast cultural diversity between West and Southern Africa. While Zambia possesses its own rich textile traditions, such as the chitenge, the heavy, hand-woven cotton strips of the West African smock represent a different aesthetic lineage. In Southern Africa, formal leadership attire often leans toward Western-style suits or specific local shirts that do not share the flared, multi-layered “warrior” silhouette of the fugu. This gap in visual vocabulary led to the “blouse” comparison, which many Zambians viewed as an innocent observation rather than a slight.
Roots of the Fugu and National Symbolism
The garment at the center of the storm is the fugu, also known as the batakari or Northern smock. It is a hand-woven fabric made of cotton strips, historically associated with the people of Northern Ghana. Beyond fashion, the smock carries deep political and spiritual weight. President Mahama noted its historical prestige during an interview in Lusaka. “In the past it was worn by kings, royalty, and also warriors,” the President explained. He emphasized that the garment was often believed to offer spiritual protection to those in battle. He also expressed surprise at the sudden viral nature of the attire, recalling his address to the UN General Assembly: “I wore the smock to the United Nations, the highest platform in the world. I’m surprised that Zambians didn’t notice it then.” Historically, the fugu’s significance is cemented by the Batakari Kɛseɛ (Supreme Batakari), a 1715 gift from Dagbon to the Ashanti Kingdom believed to grant mystical invincibility to kings and warriors like Yaa Asantewaa.
Independence Legacy and the African Personality
For many Ghanaians, the fugu is inseparable from the image of the nation’s founding. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and his fellow freedom fighters famously wore the smock on the night of March 6, 1957, to declare independence from British rule. This choice was a deliberate rejection of Western suits in favor of African identity. Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa linked the current debate back to this era of decolonization. “This is the attire that the founder of Ghana, Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah, wore when he declared independence,” Ablakwa remarked. Ablakwa further argued that the conversation is about more than clothes, stating, “When we talk about restitution and reparations, it is not just about compensation. It is a conscious mental effort to go back to our roots to reclaim who we are.”
Social Media Reactions and Economic Opportunities
The digital debate has had an unintended but positive economic consequence for Ghanaian artisans. The surge in online searches for “fugu” and “smock” has provided global visibility for local weavers. “Since the news broke, my phone hasn’t stopped buzzing with inquiries from abroad,” said Fuseini Abdul-Rashid, a master weaver in Tamale. “What people called a ‘blouse’ is actually our pride, and now the world is finally paying attention to the labor that goes into every strip of cloth.” President Mahama expressed satisfaction with this outcome despite the initial mockery. “By the power of social media, I’ve given them branding and marketing that they couldn’t ever have dreamed of,” the President said.
Parliamentary Solidarity and National Identity
On Friday, February 6, 2026, the cultural defense of the fugu moved from social media to the floor of Ghana’s Parliament. Dozens of Members of Parliament (MPs) arrived in the chamber dressed in vibrant traditional smocks to show solidarity with President Mahama. The display transformed the legislative session into a bold statement of national pride. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Salaga South, Zuwera Ibrahima Mohammed drew significant praise for appearing in a full smock, advocating that “no one can sell you better than yourself.” Colleagues, such as NDC MP for Afadjato South, Frank Afriyie, dismissed the Zambian backlash as “rooted in ignorance” and called for Africans to be defined by their own unique identities. This legislative gesture reinforced the fugu’s status as a symbol of sovereign dignity and turned a diplomatic “fashion faux pas” into a unified movement for cultural self-promotion.
Strengthening Ghana-Zambia Bilateral Relations
Despite the lighthearted social media banter, the visit solidified the historic bond between Accra and Lusaka. This relationship dates back to the friendship between Kwame Nkrumah and Kenneth Kaunda. Ablakwa noted that Ghana was the first African country to recognize Zambia’s independence in 1964, a tie cemented by the signing of a landmark visa-free travel agreement on February 5. President Hakainde Hichilema also embraced the culture, receiving a fugu as a gift. “The President of Zambia will be ordering more of that stuff for himself,” Hichilema announced. He noted his appreciation for the cultural statement, telling the Ghanaian delegation, “I’m very happy that a foreign minister, you dressed like that.”
Value Addition and Economic Sovereignty
Beyond cultural exchange, President Mahama used the visit to advocate for a “pan-African” approach to natural resources. Addressing the Zambian National Assembly, he highlighted the success of the “Ghana Gold Board” (Goldbod) in regulating exports and increasing local refining. “If even half of that gold is refined locally before export, the value we earn increases significantly,” he said, calling for an end to systems that leave African communities impoverished while “wealth travels around the world without meaningful returns.” He emphasized that refining allows for the extraction of associated minerals like silver and nickel, which are often lost in raw exports.
Overcoming Colonial Infrastructure and Trade Barriers
A core focus of the Ghana-Zambia Business Dialogue was the practical implementation of the AfCFTA. Mahama identified three major hurdles: the harmonization of standards, payment settlements, and colonial-era logistics. He noted that current railways and roads were designed to move raw materials to European ports, rather than linking African economies. “In some cases, it is easier and cheaper to ship goods to Europe than to a neighbouring African country,” Mahama observed. He also highlighted that official intra-African trade figures (11–15%) likely undercount reality due to the extensive informal cross-border trade in food items like cassava and grains, which he argued should be formalized.
Perspectives from Fashion Experts and Cultural Analysts
Fashion experts emphasize the fugu’s architectural design, which serves a specific function in sub-Saharan heat. Mahama pointed out the practical benefits of the wide sleeves and opened them. “The Fugu is appropriate because you see that the sleeves are very big. And then from under too, when the weather is hot, you are able to get ventilation from it,” he noted. By positioning the garment as a solution to regional heat, Mahama framed it as a logical alternative to the “hot sun” of the continent. “Our part is warmer than yours, so we need to adapt to clothes that make us comfortable,” he explained to his Zambian hosts.
Future of Trade and Cultural Export
The visit concluded with a vision of the fugu becoming a staple export item under the African Continental Free Trade Area. What started as a social media misunderstanding has evolved into a serious discussion about intra-African trade in textiles and resources. Both leaders have expressed a desire to move beyond exporting raw materials to trading finished products—from gold to garments. Mahama remains optimistic, suggesting, “We’ll export some fugu here and create a new fashion trend.” This ensures that the legacy of the visit remains visible long after the diplomatic convoys have left the tarmac. Furthering this economic vision, the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) officially confirmed tax exemptions for single fugu imports for personal use, signaling a low-barrier entry for Ghanaian textile cultural exports under AfCFTA protocols.
