Ghanaian author and media executive Jimmy Aglah has reached a major milestone in his literary career following the approval of his novel, When the River Testified, by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) as a supplementary reader for Ghana’s pre-tertiary education system.
The approval opens the way for the book to be used as supplementary reading material within Ghana’s education system and positions the novel for wider circulation among schools, teachers and students.
For Aglah, the approval represents the culmination of an extensive process of writing, revision, assessment and correction.
“For me, this is more than the approval of a book. It is the culmination of a long journey of writing, revision, assessment, correction and faith in the power of African stories to educate, inspire and provoke thought,” he said.
When the River Testified is rooted firmly in the Ghanaian experience and explores themes including environmental responsibility, community, courage, accountability and the consequences of individual and collective choices.
The novel uses storytelling to invite young readers to reflect on their relationship with their communities, the environment and the moral consequences of decisions made by individuals and society.
Aglah believes African literature for young people must do more than entertain. It should also create opportunities for readers to question, reflect and understand the societies in which they live.
The author describes When the River Testified as a Ghanaian story written with the experiences and realities of young African readers in mind.
Its themes make it suitable for Basic 7 to Basic 9 and Senior High School learners, while also providing opportunities for classroom discussion, reading clubs, literature programmes and broader conversations around citizenship, responsibility and environmental consciousness.
The NaCCA approval marks an important transition for the book. Attention now turns to publishing, distribution and making the novel accessible to schools across the country.
Aglah has therefore invited established publishing houses, educational distributors and organisations interested in literacy and education to explore partnerships aimed at getting the book into classrooms nationwide.
He is particularly interested in working with a publishing partner capable of supporting large-scale production, nationwide distribution and sustained engagement with both public and private schools.
“Now the next chapter begins,” Aglah said.
The author hopes the approval will help take the novel beyond the bookshelf and into classrooms where Ghanaian children can encounter stories that reflect familiar communities, challenges and cultural realities.
For him, the wider ambition is to contribute to a stronger culture of reading while demonstrating that locally written literature can simultaneously entertain, educate and stimulate critical thinking.
When the River Testified joins the growing body of Ghanaian literature seeking to place local stories at the centre of the educational experience.
The book promotes reading, values, environmental awareness and critical thinking, while encouraging young people to consider an enduring question: what happens when communities ignore the consequences of their choices?
For Aglah, the answer may already be contained in the title.
The river has testified. Now the story is ready to travel.
Publishers and educational organisations interested in partnership discussions may contact Jimmy Aglah at republicofuncommonsense@gmail.com.