We Must Dedicate Spaces to Promote Fugu Industry – Hausa Tour CEO

By: Solomon Nartey Tetteh

The Chief Executive Officer of Hausa Tour Ltd., Nawaru Mohammed Fuseini, has called for the development of dedicated spaces to support the production and sale of Fugu, Ghana’s traditional smock, similar to the infrastructure established for Kente cloth.
Speaking on The Focus on Zed 101.9FM, Mr. Fuseini highlighted that while the Ghana Investment Promotion Council (GIPC) has created centers and even a Kente museum with shopping facilities, there are no equivalent venues for Fugu weavers.
“With Kente, you have a museum and shopping spaces set up by the GIPC but with Fugu, you wouldn’t have it in those spaces. It’s about time we develop spaces for Fugu weavers and also where people can go and buy them,” he said.
He noted that most Fugu sold in southern Ghana is transported from northern regions, where weaving is concentrated, leading to supply challenges.
“People go and pick them up from the north, transport them, and then sell them down south. When you go to our centers, you find a lot of Kente, but not as much Fugu. And it takes much longer to produce,” he explained.
Mr. Fuseini shared anecdotes from his experience hosting visitors from the United States, emphasizing the growing global appeal of Fugu.
“Most of my groups come in from the US. One key thing I give them is Fugu. Especially for group leaders, we give them to husbands and wives as a surprise in their rooms,” he said.
He recounted a story of a pastor who received a Fugu during his visit and wore it at his next church service in the US, saying, “It shows you that people really like Fugu.”
Mr. Fuseini stressed that investment in production spaces could help meet growing demand.
“If someone orders 100 Fugu, I’m not sure whether two weeks will be enough to produce that quantity today. We need facilities that allow people to produce larger quantities efficiently,” he said.