This year’s edition of the Ghana Garden and Flower Show has ended in Accra with a call on individuals to contribute to greening the environment.
The 2018 event, had seen an increased patronage in participants from about 16000 people in 2017, to almost 21000 visitors this year.
Addressing the closing ceremony, Head of Development Planning at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr Richard Oduro, who spoke on behalf of the AMA Chief, Mohammed Nii Adjei Sowah, called on Ghanaians to support the green Ghana agenda to promote a healthy and safe environment.
He indicated the Assembly was determined to achieve a green and cleaner Accra, with the assurance of promoting sanitation and hygiene across the capital.
“We will ensure that we do not disappoint Ghanaians as far as this vision is concerned to make Accra a preferred choice of destination and an example for others to emulate. It is not going to be easy but with the right attitude we can achieve that,” he stated.
CEO of Stratcomm, Ms Esther A.N. Cobbah, said this year’s edition had seen an increase in patronage with a record visitor turnout.
“This is up from the 16,000 we had last year, and a significant increase from the 1,400 visitors we had in 2013”, she said.
Due to the high patronage, Stratcomm increased the number of booths from 139 last year to 150 this year.
Ms Cobbah challenged individuals to keep their neighbourhoods green and clean by developing the habit of flowering and gardening.
“Let us learn to grow flower gardens, vegetable gardens, food gardens in our backyards and immediate environment and eradicate plastic through recycling,” she advised.
About 150 exhibitors gathered for this year’s GGFS, displaying items ranging from wedding dresses and bouquets made from plastics, ornamental plants, flowers, herbs, garden tools, compost and other creative pieces.
Exhibitors with exquisite displays of artworks were awarded at the end of the show.
Other awards were also given to loyal exhibitors who had been consistent with the show in the last five years with another special award for the highest sponsor.
The GGFS is aimed at sensitizing the Ghanaian public on the importance of garden and flowers as well as making available to them supportive mechanisms and knowledge needed in growing gardens and flowers.
This year’s event was on the theme, “Enriching Ghana; a garden at a time.”
By Wisdom Jonny-Nuekpe