The Gonjaland Youth Association (GLYA) has officially launched activities to mark its 50th anniversary, celebrating five decades of service, peace-building, and advocacy for the people of Gonjaland and the wider Savanna Region.
The Golden Jubilee was unveiled at a high-profile fundraising dinner held at Lancaster Accra, drawing an influential gathering of Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, traditional leaders, and distinguished sons and daughters of the Gonja Kingdom.
The event provided an opportunity not only to honour the Association’s enduring legacy, but also to mobilise support for a new chapter of development-focused initiatives.
Delivering the keynote address, GLYA President, Alhassan Baba Darison, described the anniversary as a significant moment of “history in motion,” reflecting on the Association’s humble beginnings and remarkable journey over the last five decades.
He recounted that the organisation was founded in 1973 in Tamale by a group of visionary leaders, including the late Alhaji Sulemana Gado (Kanyasewura of Kpempe), Lepowura Alhaji M.N.D. Jawula, and other pioneers committed to promoting unity and progress in the Gonja area.
Mr. Darison explained that by 1976, the name was changed from the Gonja Youth Association to the Gonjaland Youth Association in order to ensure broader inclusion of all people within the territory, strengthening its identity as a platform for peace, cultural preservation, and collective advancement.
Reflecting on what he termed a “Legacy of Impact,” the GLYA President highlighted the Association’s pivotal role in addressing longstanding chieftaincy and land boundary disputes, efforts which contributed significantly to stability in the area and eventually supported the creation of the Savanna Region.
He also pointed to the Association’s influence in driving development across the region, citing the establishment of Nursing Training Colleges in Salaga, Damongo, and Bole, the construction of the Fufulso–Sawla Road, and the building of the Yagbonwura’s Palace as visible milestones of GLYA’s commitment to progress.
The fundraising dinner further served as a key mobilisation platform for major “Legacy Projects” planned as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations.
Mr. Darison announced that funds raised will support the reconstruction of the Traditional Home of Nyange Rahabra, the redevelopment of the Ndewura Jakpa Mausoleum in Old Buipe, and the expansion of the Mankumah Royal Mausoleum.
Additional initiatives include plans to acquire a permanent National Secretariat in Damongo, provide educational support for brilliant but underprivileged students, and undertake the formal demarcation of Gonja lands to safeguard the heritage of future generations.
In his closing remarks, the GLYA President called on the current generation to match the sacrifice and dedication of the Association’s founding leaders.
He reminded attendees that meaningful development is achieved not through speeches alone, but through collective action and sustained responsibility.
As GLYA prepares for the grand climax of its 50th anniversary celebrations in Buipe during the Easter holidays, Mr. Darison called on all stakeholders to rally together to ensure that the Golden Jubilee generation will be remembered as one that secured lasting prosperity for Gonjaland over the next fifty years.
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