Accra: Imagining a utopia, a place inhabited by people who live on water. It would be a sheer delight to visit this wonderland and be awed by the beauty of its lagoon community. These are the expectations of many people who visit Ghana's tourism 'paradise' in the Western Region: The famous Nzulezu Village.
According to Ghana News Agency, inhabited by the Nzema people, a local ethnic group in Ghana whose population extends into neighbouring C´te d'Ivoire, Nzulezu is a unique tourism hub. The population of the community is approximately 600 people who live an entire life cycle on water. The people of Nzulezu migrated from Walata in present-day Mali over 500 years ago, led by a snail, and settled on Lake Tadane because they believed the water would protect them from slave raiders. Nzulezu sits on stilts above Lake Tadane, a freshwater coastal lagoon in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region. The lagoon is part of a delicate wetland ecosystem fringed by mangroves, raffia palms, and the iconic coconut trees synonymous with Nzema culture.
Visitors often enjoy activities such as canoeing while experiencing the rich culture and remarkable lifestyle of the community, although the village also faces several challenges. The gap between admiration and inclusion becomes evident as an entry into the 'utopian' lagoon community reveals a significant infrastructure gap. The most pronounced challenge is the unavailability of life jackets - protective devices essential for safety on water. It is surprising that tourists are provided with life jackets, yet residents who live their everyday lives in the community do not have them. The more disheartening revelation is that children paddle their individual canoes across the lagoon to schools in nearby communities every day without life jackets.
Amenities such as schools, a mini clinic, and a community centre are available, but they are constrained by a significant shortage of human resources. It appears that there are no resident medical professionals serving the community. The community also lacks emergency healthcare logistics and does not appear to have a state-run water ambulance service that reflects the geographical realities of the area. In terms of education, the highest level of schooling available within the community is Primary Six. This means that children must travel to neighbouring communities to pursue Junior High School education.
Despite these infrastructure gaps and visible challenges, the people of Nzulezu remain hopeful that conditions will improve. They are hospitable people who welcome visitors with open arms, sharing their experiences and cultural heritage. Going forward, what these people deserve is what every Ghanaian deserves: inclusion. The people of Nzulezu must be made to feel that they are an integral part of Ghanaian society, and they should not have to endure such infrastructure deficits.
Nzulezu is more than a postcard. It is a living testament to Ghanaian ingenuity, resilience, and harmony with nature - a 500-year-old community that chose water for safety and stayed for identity. If Ghana is truly committed to 'leaving no one behind,' then Nzulezu must move from the margins of our imagination to the centre of our development agenda. Let us build bridges - or rather, boats - of policy, investment, and care that reach this water-bound community. For when we choose to include Nzulezu, we do more than preserve a tourist site. We honour a people. We protect a heritage. We safeguard an ecosystem. And we prove that development, like water, must flow to every corner of the nation - even to the houses that float.