Accra came alive with colour, flavour and culture as the Maggi Waakye Summit once again brought together food lovers from across the country for a grand celebration of Ghana’s most popular indigenous dish. Held on December 26, 2025, at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park, the festival delivered a rich blend of food, music, art, games and community spirit, living up to its reputation as the biggest waakye festival in Ghana.
The Waakye Festival is an annual event where people come together to patronise waakye from different vendors while connecting and bonding over Ghana’s most popular meal. Over the years, it has grown into a major cultural and culinary gathering that celebrates not only food, but also community, identity and shared experiences.
The event attracted over 10,000 food lovers and featured more than 70 vendors, firmly placing waakye at the centre of Ghana’s culinary pride. From steaming bowls of perfectly prepared rice and beans to richly seasoned waakye stew and shito, patrons were treated to authentic tastes that reflect the soul of Ghanaian cuisine.
Speaking at the event, Mark Okyere-Mensah, Category Manager for Culinary at Nestlé Ghana, explained the motivation behind the company’s strong presence at the festival. He noted that Nestlé’s philosophy of “good food, good life” aligns naturally with festive gatherings, where food plays a central role in bringing people together.
According to him, the festive season is a time when families and communities bond over shared meals, making it important for Nestlé to actively participate in spaces where food is prepared and enjoyed. This, he said, is why the company partnered with Le Leon, the main organiser of the Waakye Summit, to support the event through its iconic seasoning brand, Maggi.
Now in its seventh edition, the Maggi Waakye Summit has grown steadily over the years. Organisers say lessons from previous editions have been carefully applied to make this year’s festival bigger, more exciting and more engaging, with the aim of reaching over 10,000 people by the close of the event.
Magherita Amon, Brands Manager for Maggi at Nestlé Ghana, highlighted the brand’s deep connection to waakye preparation. She described Maggi as a special ingredient that brings out the full flavour of waakye stew and shito, stressing that authentic waakye is incomplete without it.
She explained that Maggi enhances taste and aroma, delivering the familiar flavour Ghanaians love. For many cooks and consumers, she added, Maggi has become inseparable from waakye, making its presence at the summit both natural and essential.
Beyond flavour, Nestlé Ghana emphasised its commitment to quality, stating that every product associated with the brand meets high standards. The festival, organisers said, was also an opportunity to offer consumers quality products and memorable experiences as the year draws to a close.
The summit also served as a platform for connection, bringing together vendors, families and communities from different backgrounds. Through a mix of food tasting, entertainment and interaction, the Maggi Waakye Summit once again proved that waakye is more than just a meal; it is a cultural symbol that unites people, celebrates Ghanaian heritage and strengthens community bonds.
