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From passion to plate: Chichi Yakubu’s culinary journey
Driven by her personal weight loss journey and passion for healthy eating, Chichi Yakubu has carved a niche for herself in the culinary industry.
Her dedication and commitment has turned her business, NyoNyo Essentials, to one of Ghana’s most sought-after catering companies in the country.
Born to a Nigerian father and a Ghanaian mother, Chichi grew up in a family of passionate women at Mamprobi Polytechnic.
Her mother, an avid cook, started a small catering business, which Chichi helped manage during vacations.
“From upper primary through to Junior High School, I will close from school to go and help my mother at her small food stand at Sakaman to do the dishes after her customers had eaten.
Her mother was known for her special dough Banku with Okro soup. Her small food joint expanded to become a chop bar where she worked at when on vacations.
She acknowledged that, “this early exposure to entrepreneurship sparked my interest in the culinary industry.”
After her university education, Chichi embarked on a weight loss journey, which led her to explore the culinary side of things.
According to Chichi, her weight loss journey began after she realised in her late teens her family struggle with weight.
“I wasn’t going to just allow it but someway, somehow, I started gaining so much weight in my early twenties and I decided to take action by changing my lifestyle by eating healthy and exercising. That’s what got me interested in meal prepping which eventually became my side hustle,” she narrated.
Chichi later discovered the business potential of healthy food and decided to pursue it. Also her friends were curious about her weight loss strategies, which inspired her to offer meal-prep services at a fee.
With a bold vision and determination, Chichi started small, offering sandwiches, salads, and smoothies.
Leveraging social media marketing, she reached a wider audience and grew her business rapidly.
Today, Chichi is the Chief Executive Officer of Nyonyo Essential, a business that has expanded to cater for weddings, parties, and corporate events with her team providing excellent service, and word-of-mouth referrals have helped her expand her client base.
Again, Chichi has also opened kitchen centres in selected areas, providing healthy food options to Ghanaians.
She mentioned that, her mother has been her number one supporter saying “she had the blue print handed down to me. I started my business in her kitchen, and she also spared me some of her workers when the new people I had hired didn’t show up.
“My then boyfriend and now husband believed in me even when I was not sure to do it full time as I was in corporate Ghana and not doing bad.”
Chichi said one of her biggest challenges was staff retention, adding that she was of the opinion that the work itself was not much of a challenge but the people.
The other thing was stereotyping, saying that, “some years back people look down on food business operators, we were not regarded as professionals with others assuming we are school dropouts or just people who don’t know what we are about.”
But I was determined to change that narrative by handling work with the outmost professionalism, which I have since the beginning of my weight loss journey in 2014.
Chichi is motivated by her faith in Christ, her passion for entrepreneurship, and her commitment to empowering women.
As a wife, mother, and business owner, she strives to create a balance that reflects her vision of an all-rounded woman.
In business, she emphasised, her drive comes from a deep love for the hospitality industry and a desire to help others succeed through the business of catering by NyoNyo, saying that, “My belief that Jesus is Lord guides my decisions, ensuring that integrity, excellence, and purpose shape both my life and business.”
She urged young people, especially young women, who are just starting out in their careers or entrepreneurial journeys to believe in themselves, trust God’s timing, and be willing to put in the work.
Moreover, she said “success does not happen overnight, so stay consistent, be patient, and keep learning. Surround yourself with the right people, mentors, peers, and a support system that challenges and encourages you.”
“Opportunities don’t pause for perfection. While we overthink, others take action. Start where you are, with what you have. The world moves fast—so should we,” – Chichi Yakubu advised
She again added that women should embrace their multifaceted roles without guilt saying “you can be an entrepreneur, a wife, a mother, and a sister’s keeper all at once. Most importantly, stay true to your values and never compromise on integrity. Let your journey reflect both purpose and excellence.”
Chicihi loves to spend quality time away from the noise of life in new places or go on an adventure with her family and friends.
She is a product of Christian home school, Okuapeman secondary, Central University College and Harvard University.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
AUTISM Awareness Care and Training (AACT) is Ghana’s first autism-focused centre, playing a pioneering role in the care, education, and advocacy for children on the autism spectrum and their families.
Established in 1998, AACT began as a parent-support and training initiative at a time when autism was poorly understood in Ghana. Many families raising autistic children faced stigma, isolation, and limited access to information or professional assistance.
Over the years, the organisation has evolved into a full-fledged autism care and training centre, responding to the growing demand for specialised services and sustained nationwide awareness.
AACT is currently located in Haatso, Accra, where it operates a structured day programme serving about 25 learners daily. The centre provides a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment where children with autism are guided to develop essential life, social, and functional skills.
Programmes at the centre focus on independent living skills, vocational and pre-vocational training, functional academic skills, and therapeutic interventions. These activities are tailored to the individual needs of each learner, recognising that children on the autism spectrum learn and develop at different paces.
According to Abeiku Grant, Head of Programmes at AACT, the centre’s philosophy is centred on ability rather than limitation.
“Every autistic child is different,” he said. “Our work is to support them at their own pace and help them discover what they can do, not to focus on what they cannot do.”
Beyond centre-based services, AACT places strong emphasis on autism awareness and advocacy, particularly within schools and communities. Many children with autism in Ghana continue to face rejection and exclusion due to stigma, misinformation, and the lack of trained personnel in educational institutions.
In 2025, AACT reached over 20 schools across the country, providing autism education to teachers, students, and school administrators.
The organisation also runs free teacher training programmes, equipping educators with practical knowledge and basic tools to support autistic learners in inclusive classroom settings.
“Many schools tell us they are not resourced or trained to handle autistic learners,” Mr Grant explained. “Instead of waiting for change, we decided to go to them and train teachers for free.”
AACT also engages learners directly, addressing widespread misconceptions about autism, including the false belief that autism is contagious or caused by bad parenting. These outreach programmes aim to build empathy among students and promote peer support for autistic learners in mainstream schools.
Another major challenge confronting families is limited access to autism services, especially outside Accra. With most autism centres concentrated in the capital, many families from other regions are forced to travel long distances or keep their children at home due to cost, stigma, or lack of support.
“Education is not meant only for typical children,” Mr Grant stressed. “Children with autism also have the right to education and care. No child should be hidden because of lack of understanding or opportunity.”
As part of its outreach work, AACT supports parents to overcome stigma and encourages social interaction for children with autism, believing that community engagement is essential for development and confidence building.
In December 2025, the centre received what it described as its largest donation of the year, raised by children from the Unmasked Mentoring initiative. According to the organisation, the donation was particularly significant as it demonstrated empathy and social responsibility among young people.
As a non-governmental, non-profit organisation, AACT depends largely on donations, partnerships, and goodwill to sustain and expand its work. Current needs include a minibus for community-based social activities, expansion of its facility to accommodate more learners, sponsorship support for children from financially challenged families, and funding to scale autism awareness programmes nationwide.
Looking ahead, AACT envisions a Ghanaian society that is inclusive, informed, and supportive of persons with autism.
“Our goal is a Ghana where children with autism are accepted and supported,” Mr Grant said. “Every child has potential. All they need is understanding, opportunity, and care.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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If you found yourself in Tamale last weekend, you would have stepped into an atmosphere alive with colour, rhythm and memory. The maiden Northern Ghana FOTO Festival did not feel like a typical exhibition; it felt like a cultural awakening.
Between rows of tall white panels displaying hundreds of striking images, a cultural troupe danced their way through the space, their drumming rolling through the hall like a heartbeat. The dancers’ movements fluid, bold, traditional, created a living bridge between the past and the photographs surrounding them.
Not far from the performers, chiefs in their elegant traditional regalia paused thoughtfully before portraits capturing festivals, rituals and everyday life. This immersive scene set the tone for the Northern Ghana FOTO Festival, which opened in Tamale with a resounding call for cultural preservation through visual storytelling.
The event gathered photographers, cultural advocates, scholars and traditional leaders to celebrate the narratives, traditions and identities that shaped northern Ghana. Originally launched with a call for just 30 photographic entries, organisers were overwhelmed with more than 600 images submitted by over 60 contributors from across the five northern regions.
The range of submissions from seasoned photographers and emerging artists to passionate hobbyists formed a vivid collective portrait of the region’s past and present. The opening ceremony amplified the festival’s cultural spirit with traditional drumming, dancing and performances that reflected the rich heritage the exhibition sought to highlight.
Chairperson for the event, Prof. Elliot Haruna Alhassan, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS), described photography as a crucial tool for documenting Ghana’s cultural evolution. He emphasised that visual storytelling is becoming indispensable in safeguarding customs, values and community memory.
The Guest of Honour and former Rector of Tamale Technical University, Prof. Salifu Asuro, praised the organisers for creating a platform that elevates the cultural identity of northern Ghana. He encouraged public and private institutions to support creative arts initiatives, noting their significant role in national development.
Traditional authorities played a central part in the ceremony. Representatives from the Gukpe Naa and Dakpemaa palaces including Naa Prof. Abdul-Rahaman Issahaku, Chief of Gbanyamle and senior faculty member at UDS, as well as the Chief of Bunbong, Uborr Wumbe Dawuni—commended the festival for fostering cultural continuity and encouraging younger generations to reconnect with their roots.
Speaking on behalf of the Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Mr Owusu-Boakye Frank, Senior Standard and quality assurance officer assured the Authority’s commitment to supporting cultural tourism. He stressed that visual storytelling, when harnessed effectively, has the potential to attract visitors, preserve cultural assets and strengthen community identity. He pledged the Authority’s collaboration in future editions to position northern Ghana as a vibrant hub for creativity and heritage.
One of the festival’s major highlights was a panel discussion on the theme: “Preserving Culture, History and Community through Visual Storytelling.” Chiefs, scholars and cultural experts explored the importance of visual documentation as a tool for intergenerational education, emphasising photography’s ability to create a timeless cultural archive.
Team Lead of Foto4Change and convener of the festival, Mr Geoffrey Buta, said the initiative seeks to strengthen cultural conservation efforts through photography. “Our forebears relied on oral tradition to preserve history,” he noted. “Today, visual storytelling enables us to continue that work in a more permanent and accessible form.”
Mr Buta announced plans to transform the festival into a rotational exhibition that will travel across northern Ghana, giving more communities access to the growing visual archive. He added that the event would be institutionalised as an annual celebration of culture, research and artistic dialogue.
The displayed photographs captured festivals, landscapes, portraits, rituals and everyday life offering a colourful, honest and layered view of northern Ghana’s cultural richness. Organisers expressed optimism that with sustained institutional support, the Northern Ghana FOTO Festival could evolve into a major cultural event capable of attracting both national and international attention, while preserving the heritage and stories that make the region unique.
By Spectator Reporter
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