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Kwaku Antwi Boasiako in ‘comfortable lead’ with his 12-feet Rasta hair
Unless they want to maintain an afro, most men would visit a barber’s shop, at least once every month, to get a clean shave and haircut.
Even those who admire dreadlocks or Rasta may not have the patience to keep it up to a certain length let alone sustain it for life.
But 58-year-old Mr Kwaku Antwi Boasiako is comfortable with his 12-feet (365.76 cm) long hair which is about twice his own height.
rasta measures 12-feet
When he first visited The Spectator in 2003, the hair, arguably the longest kept by a Ghanaian Rastafarian, was only six-and-half feet long.
The 5.8 feet native of Bekwai in the Ashanti Region is determined to still grow the already longer hair further, as long as he lives.
Origin
Interacting with this paper once again, on Tuesday, Mr Boasiako explained that he became a Rastafarian at 16 years so he could “get closer to God and understand his spiritual being.”
Recounting the genesis of his 37-year-old journey of Rasta hairdo, he said he was exposed to a Pan-African society at St Peter’s Secondary School at Kwahu Nkwatia in the Eastern Region and later decided to transform his natural hair in accordance with the tenets of the group.
He noted that his parents were initially, against the idea of keeping a bushy hair as they thought that decision would interfere with his education but they eventually gave in after he had convinced them.
Education
True to his assurances, Mr Boasiako completed his ‘O’ level at St Peters Secondary School, pursued a private Advanced Level (A-Level) course, and gained admission to do Diploma in Communication Studies at Ghana Institute of Journalism. He later acquired Bachelor of Artsin Administration at University of Ghana, Legon.
He said he could not pursue a post-graduate programme due to financial constraints but he would have loved to study law and defend Rastafarians.
Influence
Mr Boasiako, quoting sections of the Bible throughout the interview, maintained that members of the group defended the spiritual cause of black people regardless of their peculiar outlook.
He said the rise in Pan-Africanism, subtle influence of Bob Marley music, and the other forms of indoctrination by peers deepened his interest in the virtues of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia who was and is considered the ‘Messiah’.
According to him, his ‘Rasta-man-ship’ was strengthened through prayers as he grew up to realise that there were more spiritual undertones to Rastafarianism than what others perceived.
“Rastafarianism encourages those who believe in the movement to fast and pray for spiritual uplift. You cannot be a real Rasta man without prayers,” he noted, adding that “no other race could maintain Rasta except the black man.”
Discrimination
He admitted that the decision to maintain the Rasta came with “discrimination and frustrations” at the workplace and society as a whole.
“I could not work to my full potential at my former workplace. Eventually I had to leave. They were not giving me the opportunity to work like other people. Sometimes I felt bad and discriminated against because I wanted to practice journalism than any other profession,” he noted.
Since then, he decided to operate his own venture as a real estate agent, however, some sections of the public still mocked at him for sustaining his Rasta hair throughout the years.
Maintenance
Unlike other people, Mr Boasiako revealed that he did not apply any chemical nor went to any special outlet to treat his natural hair which took only five minutes to wash.
“As much as it does not cost you to bath, it does not cost to maintain this hair. I only wash it with warm water and soap to remove dandruff and sometimes I apply lime which acts as natural disinfectant,” he said.
Asked how heavy the thick hair was, he replied: “your hair is like a cloth. When there is water in it, it is heavy, when there is no water, it is light.”
Ridicule
Although social and technological advancement have contributed to the acceptance of Rastafarian culture, Mr Boasiako noted that some people had often asked if he was able to sleep at night.
“I always tell them I have been standing ever since I was born. When I step out of my house, I always pray to God to help me to tolerate all the ridiculous comments people make,” he said.
Advice
Mr Boasiako encouraged young men who aspire to be Rastamen not to perceive the movement from a radical point of view.
“The motive behind this lifestyle is to uplift the spirit. It is not to encourage violence and radicalism. Aspiring Rasta men must “keep themselves neat so people do not confuse them with bad men,” he stressed.
He further argued that Ghanaian ladies must not be carried away by western hairstyles but rather maintain their natural hair and cover it with scarf so they will “look very simple.”
To him, Rastamen were not supposed to shave part of their dreadlock and leave other parts or even dye their hair.
“Some people say they are Rasta so they do not wear shoe or slippers but that is not Rastafarianism,” he added.
Mr Boasiako has two children. He is a member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Rastafari Council of Ghana, and loves reggae and gospel music.
Indeed, there are other people with longer hairs but he insisted he is in a “comfortable lead.”
By Ernest Nutsugah
The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.
The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.
It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.
The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.
This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).
On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.
There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.
Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.
The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.
As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.
The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.
Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.
On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.
Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”
The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.
Source – G-NEXID
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, signed five bills including three amendment bills passed by Parliament into law.
They are: Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In a brief remark after assenting to the bills, President Mahama explained that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, scraps the Office of Minister of National Security and frees the President’s to appoint any Minister to supervise the security agencies.
He said it also reverses the name of the office of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to the original name, Bureau of National Intelligence, (BNI).
This the President said, addresses the confusion between that security agency and a well-known Ghanaian financial institution, the National Investment Bank.
President Mahama also noted that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishes another University in the Eastern Region, at Bonsu, with three campuses – the main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region, with the second campus to be cited at Ohawu in the Oti Region.
The third, the Presdient assed will be located at Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
Touching on the Amendment to the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act, the President said, “As you’re aware, the act was amended to increase it from 1% to 3%, and so this act reduces it again. That is the levy on mining companies. It reduces it again to 1%, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties.”
He also spoke to the passage of the Government Education Regulatory Bodies Amendment Act, emphasising that amends Act 1023 to grant greater flexibility to private tertiary institutions and the option to Charter.
The Ghana Deposit Protection Amendment Act, the President concluded, is an amendment to an original act that was supposed to guarantee deposits held in commercial banks or financial institutions.
It basically expands protection to include mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, ensuring a wider scope of digital financial assets are secured.
The signing ceremony, was witnessed by the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Senior Presidential Advisor and a Special Aide to the President, Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, and the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
