The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has assured chiefs and residents of the Techiman North District that the TanoBoase Sacred Grove will be commissioned and opened to the public before the close of 2026, following a familiarisation tour of the facility on Thursday.

Located in and around a massive inselberg—an isolated rock outcrop filled with caves—the grove is one of the most significant spiritual and ecological sites in central Ghana.

The caves served as shelters for the original inhabitants of the area and are regarded as one of the migration destinations of the Bono people after they left the caves at Amowi. They also provided refuge for the Bono during periods of conflict, including the Bono-Asante wars of the 18th century.

For generations, strict traditional prohibitions have barred farming or development on or near the grove. As a result, like sacred groves found elsewhere in Ghana, the area has remained one of the few places in the region with primary forest vegetation—a rare ecological treasure in a landscape increasingly shaped by agriculture.

The site is believed to be the cradle and traditional home of the Bono people. According to oral tradition, when the Bono emerged from the Amowi caves, some settled in the Tanoboase area, establishing a spiritual and cultural legacy that endures to this day. The grove is also believed to be the abode of local gods and ancestral spirits, making it a site of deep religious significance.

Describing the grove’s tourism potential as “huge,” Madam Gomashie acknowledged that the facility is currently on a construction break and not yet fully operational. However, she gave a firm commitment to the local community.

“As I go back to Accra, I will do everything within my means to ensure that the facility is commissioned and open to the public before the close of the year,” the Minister assured the gathering.

Her visit forms part of a broader familiarisation tour of the Bono East Region to engage stakeholders and assess tourism and cultural assets. The Minister has also been urging Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives in the region to take an active role in identifying and promoting local tourist attractions.

Regional Minister Francis Owusu Antwi thanked the Minister for the visit and reaffirmed the Regional Coordinating Council’s commitment to working with the Ministry to realise its goals for sustainable development.

"We are committed. Sustainable development is not just a slogan here—it is our duty to the ancestors and to the generations yet to come." The minister said

Also present during the tour were the District Chief Executive for Techiman North, Adom Kwabena Johnson, and regional officials of the Ghana Tourism Authority.

The TanoBoase Sacred Grove project has been in development for some time. The Ghana Tourism Authority, under previous leadership, oversaw the rehabilitation of numerous tourist sites across the country, including Tano Boase Sacred Grove.

Recent reports indicate that the project is near completion, and the Minister herself had earlier disclosed at the Government Accountability Series that the grove would be officially reopened following a major upgrade.

With the Minister’s latest pledge, residents and tourism stakeholders alike are hopeful that one of Ghana’s most treasured cultural and ecological sites will finally be accessible to the public—offering visitors a unique blend of history, spirituality, and untouched natural beauty.