Zambia Minister of Tourism Joins Ghanaians for Fugu Friday After Online Fued: “Feeling Fugu-Nomenal”
- Zambian Tourism Minister Rodney Sikumba embraced the fugu attire during the Ghana-Zambia Business Dialogue
- President Hakainde Hichilema had directed his team to promote cultural attire to foster unity with Ghana after jokes about the attire went viral
- Sikumba shared photos of himself wearing the traditional wear common in northern Ghana as Ghanaians marked Fugu Friday online
Rodney Sikumba, the Zambian Tourism minister, has jumped on the fugu bandwagon after a playful online feud.
He has shared photos of himself wearing the iconic attire amid the Ghana-Zambia Business Dialogue.
Source: Twitter
This comes after Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has ordered traditional Ghanaian fugu attire and directed his team to publicly associate with the garb of northern Ghana.
The fugu is also known as a smock or batakari.
In a statement on X, Sikumba said:
"Feeling Fugu-nomenal with our Ghanaian colleagues at the Ghana-Zambia Business Dialogue Forum. It has truly been a fugu-tastic State Visit, celebrating culture, collaboration, and shared opportunity. Happy Fugu Friday to my Ghanaian brothers and sisters; honouring our shared past, strengthening our present, and building our future together."
The online feud sparked a cultural movement, with February 6 informally declared Fugu Friday online.
Ghana’s traditional fugu stole the spotlight after President John Mahama’s diplomatic visit to Zambia, when some Zambians joked about him wearing the smock.
Why did Zambians mocked Mahama's fugu attire?
On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, Mahama landed in Zambia on a three-day state visit to strengthen diplomatic ties between the two countries.
However, beyond the high-level engagements, attention on social media has shifted to the president’s fashion sense, with some Zambians mocking his attire.
Mahama wore a fugu during the visit to the southern African country.
When photos of the Ghanaian president’s arrival in Zambia surfaced on social media, some Zambians took to the comment section, brazenly displaying ignorance about the fugu outfit.
According to Zambians online, Mahama's fugu looked like a blouse, with some even questioning whether he had borrowed it from his wife.
What has Mahama said about the fugu furore?
Speaking in a media interview on February 6 on the sidelines of his visit to Zambia, Mahama expressed his surprise over the attention generated by his fugu outfit.
He reminded that he had worn the attire several times on global platforms like his recent address at the UN General Assembly.
He added that he was surprised to learn, through the social media buzz generated by his fashion sense, that Zambians had not seen him at the UN wearing fugu, also known as a smock or batakari.
"Smocks have become an integral part of our cultural identity, and I wore the smock to the United Nations, the highest platform in this world. I'm surprised that Zambians didn't see me in a smock last September," he said.
He also expressed confidence that the online buzz on fugu would boost awareness and appreciation of the Ghanaian traditional outfit globally.
"The smock weavers in Ghana will be very happy because I, by the power of social media, have given them branding and marketing that they couldn't have dreamed of ever getting.
Source: Getty Images
Zambian President orders fugu from Ghana
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported earlier that Zambian President, His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, had ordered the traditional Ghanaian fugu attire following online mockery after President John Mahama wore the smock during an official visit to the Southern African country.
He announced a state event honouring Mahama’s visit to Zambia.
Hichilema expressed admiration for the attire and directed his team to publicly associate with the Ghanaian cultural wear.
Source: YEN.com.gh
