Ghana risks losing one of its major tourist attractions, as residents of Nzulezu hint of possible relocation, citing economic hardship and depleting beauty of the enclave.

The river dwellers are hoping for an intervention from the Ghana Tourism Authority to strategically and sustainably develop the community to boost tourism.

They fear the village of stilts could go distinct in the next decade if the situation of the local economy remains the same.

Nzulezu, a village on stilts, is located in the Jomoro District of the Western Region.

Apartments built firmly on the river with raffia branches and wood can last for 10-15 years before renovation.

Residents are predominantly farmers, making a living from subsistence agriculture and alcohol distilling.

But, the inhabitants of Nzulezu say their livelihoods are adversely affected by poverty, leading to rapid migration.

“There is no job here for the youth. They look stranded daily. Initially, they were into alcohol distilling and fishing, but now it is no more. The hardship here is unbearable. They are leaving for the cities for greener pastures. We lack essential amenities like water. We can’t say our forefathers drank this water, so we should continue drinking. It looks unclean. we fear it may have future implications,” they observed.

The residents fear Nzulezu will go extinct in 10 years if nothing is done.

The residents are hoping the Ghana Tourism Authority could salvage the situation by creating additional facilities to whip up the tourism opportunities of the area, generate revenue for the government, and boost the local economy.

A community leader, John Emmanuel Atta, has served as a tour guide at the community center on the river.

According to him, members of the community could not vote until they had electricity, facilitated by former Member of Parliament, Samia Nkrumah.

John, however, said a major challenge is the lack of toilet facilities for the community and tourists.

“We have seven teachers in our school, four of them are paid by the government and we sustain the other three with our meager resources but constructing a toilet facility on the river is expensive and demands the government’s attention,” he said.

Some revelers who visited the area want the government to urgently respond to their plight of the Nzulezu community.