The ‘slippery frog’ inviting thousands of tourists to hike on the hill

The Togo slippery frog is a small and powerful amphibian that’s part of a family that goes back 70 to 80 million years to the time of the dinosaurs.

The Togo slippery frog ranks 18th in the hundred most genetically distinct and critically endangered in the world. It is different from other amphibians. Although its name implies that it lives in the country of Togo, it’s also found in Ghana, precisely Amedzofe in the Volta Region.

Travelling a distance of over 4 hours, almost ten thousand revellers visited the Amedzofe canopy walkway in three months to hike while unconsciously improving their cardiovascular systems.

The Amedzofe Canopy Walkway was installed and commissioned in November 2022 by Herb-Ghana, a conservation NGO that found it necessary to invest millions of cedis to conserve the Amedzofe forest reserve.

The forest was at the mercy of bush fire and illegal logging by town folks in search of firewood. Residents of Amedzofe undermined climate change and its impact on rare species such as the Togo slippery frog due to lack of education on the slippery frog.

It’s been a “generational delicacy” for the people, Godwin, the tour guide said. Godwin is one of the lucky youth who gained employment shifting the focus of frog consumers to conservationists.

“Onepone,” which means “togetherness,” is the name given to the forest reserve after various clans and individual landowners came together and handed over their parcel of land to Herb Ghana to install the canopy walkway.

The facility has suddenly exposed the Amedzofe community to visitors from across all walks of life.

According to Godwin, the number of visits has massively increased.

The facility has so far generated about GH¢200,000 in revenue in three months. An adult Ghanaian pays GH¢30.00 while foreigners pay more. Students and children have their rates slashed by half in order to encourage frequent visits.

Previously, the Ote waterfall was a lonely place for lovers of nature and adventure. Tourist numbers were ten times less pre-canopy walkway installation.

“Very few people came around to visit the Ote waterfall because it was not attractive but since the installation of the canopy walkway, over a thousand people come here in a month and that is putting money in our pocket,” said a commercial motor rider, Gershon, who has resorted to riding after completing SHS.

He added that “we charge GH¢10.00 to carry an exhausted patron from the car park to the reception (about a kilometre) on a rough path, and this is good business.”

#HERITAGECARAVAN2023

Citi TV’s Heritage Caravan made its first stop of the 2023 edition at the Amedzofe canopy walkway.

Over 150 patrons took turns walking on the walkway after enduring stressful human traffic.

Many were thrilled by the adventure, while others couldn’t mask their joy for being part of a one-week road trip of 14 regions in Ghana, which commenced on a breathtaking note, driving to the highest peak of human settlement in Ghana, about 2400ft above sea level.

The contribution of the new Amedzofe Canopy Walkway to the local economy and, by extension, the Volta region has been enormous.

The Heritage Caravan 2023 is powered by Citi TV in partnership with the Ghana Tourism Authority with support from Citi FM and proudly sponsored by Hollard Ghana, the European Union, Malta Guinness, Ebony Condoms, GOIL Company Ltd., National Lotteries Authority, Voltic Mineral Water and Colgate Natural Extracts.