Prang (B/A), Dec. 22, GNA - Mr. Alexander Asum-Ahensah, Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture, has urged traditional authorities to expand the scope of celebration of their annual festivals beyond joy and merry-making to build bridges of economic and social partnership.

He said they needed to assess festivals with a view to re-packaging them to make them more appealing to potential sponsors and partners in development.

Mr. Asum-Ahensah was speaking at Prang at the wekend at a durbar to climax a week-long annual Nkyifie Yam Festival of the chiefs and people of Prang traditional area in the Pru District of the Brong-Ahafo Region.

He noted that Yam festivals were celebrated by many traditional areas in the Brong-Ahafo Region because yam, as "the king of foodstuffs", was cultivated in great quantities in the region.