Ghana Moves From 11 To 16 Standardised Ghanaian Languages – Tourism Minister

Ghana has increased the number of standardised Ghanaian languages from 11 to 16, as part of efforts to promote indigenous languages and develop them into reading and learning materials for schools.

The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, disclosed this during a Government Accountability Series at the Jubilee House in Accra on Monday, August 10, 2026.

According to the Minister, the development is being led by the Bureau of Ghana Languages (BGL) as part of efforts to fulfil the government’s commitment to restructure the Bureau and strengthen its mandate to standardise and develop Ghanaian languages.

The latest additions to the list of standardised languages include Kusaal, spoken by the Kusasi people in the Upper East Region; Likpakpaanl, spoken by the Konkomba people; and Sisaali, spoken by the Sisaala people.

The three languages were launched as standardised orthographies on June 23, 2026.

The Minister said the development followed earlier work to promote the use and preservation of Ghanaian languages, including the launch of the Orthography of the Ahanta Language in collaboration with the Member of Parliament for Ahanta West, Mavis Kukua Bisue.

Ghana Languages Dialogue

As part of efforts to promote indigenous languages, the Bureau of Ghana Languages organised the Ghana Languages Dialogue in November 2025.

The programme brought together key stakeholders to educate Ghanaians on the importance of speaking and preserving local languages.

The initiative forms part of the Ministry and BGL’s broader objective of ensuring that Ghanaian languages are developed sufficiently to support reading and learning materials in schools.

Three more languages expected

The Tourism Minister said the work is not ending with the current 16 standardised languages.

According to her, three additional standardised orthographies are expected to be launched before the end of 2026.

The move is intended to further advance the government’s vision of developing and standardising Ghanaian languages in line with its manifesto commitment.

Preserving mother tongues

The Ministry has also been using cultural programmes to encourage Ghanaians, particularly younger generations, to maintain their connection with indigenous languages.

The Bureau marked the Ghana Languages Festival in July 2025, an annual event aimed at educating the public on the importance of speaking Ghanaian languages and passing them on to children.

The Ministry also highlighted the annual International Mother Languages celebration on February 23 as another opportunity to showcase Ghana’s linguistic diversity and raise awareness about the importance of preserving local languages as part of the country’s cultural heritage.

Ghanaian languages through animation

In another initiative, the Bureau of Ghana Languages is working on the animation of Ghanaian languages.

The project is intended to introduce Ghanaian culture and indigenous languages to children through cartoons.

The Ministry believes such approaches can help make local languages more accessible and engaging to younger audiences while supporting efforts to preserve Ghana’s linguistic heritage.

The expansion from 11 to 16 standardised languages, together with the planned addition of three more, forms part of the government’s wider efforts to strengthen Ghana’s cultural identity through the preservation and development of indigenous languages.