Sigma festival of Jang of the Vagla people of Savannah region

The Vagla of Gonja who is the first of the Gonja people to have settled in Gangland, especially Western Gonja is known for several traditions and festivals in the Savannah Region of Ghana. The Vagla of Gonja are the indigenes of Gonja and the indigenous tribe of the Savannah Region of Ghana.

The Vagla of Gonja are very religious and whose religious inclination is largely towards the African Tradition Religion. This, the Vagla from a historical point of view are FETISH people.

Sigma in Vagli refers to what in English is called Masquerade (masks). The Sigma is for many purposes including sacred religious purposes, and the performances of rites including traditional chiefs’ funerals among others.

The Vagla people revered the Sigma so much and per their practice prepared their people in the spirit reign for the performances of the Sigma dance but with time, the rites or sacred rites are made for the entire people so that other non-Vagla people can witness or observe the performances of the Sigaa dances in many Vagla communities largely in Jang and in Dabori in the Vagla North Zone.

Also, the Sigma is present in another Vagla group community known as the Yipala (Nomme/Bagtigee) area of the Great Vagla Nation State. Night Sigma is feared.

The JANG SIGMA FESTIVAL originated from the oldest Vagla village or community known as Jang (Jam) in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region of Ghana. The Sigma Festival is the display of the rich culture of the Vagla (Vagella) people of Gonja culture in Jang. Hundreds of people travel to the oldest Vagla Community of Jang to witness or see the display of the Sigma (usually Male and Female (Sigma Bal ni Sigma Nina).

The two Sigma dance together or sometimes one dances and takes a break for the other Sigma to dance. The Vagla people are respected for their SIGMA FESTIVAL AT JANG and hundreds and thousands visit the Jang Community for Sigma Festival at the ancient or the oldest of the Vagla Village of Jang/Jam.



Jang is the oldest of the Vagla Chiefdoms with the Jang Koro as the Kor-Zen (Paramountcy). The other revered traditional Chief in the Vagla Chiefdom is the Heuhin who is so revered by the people for issues of the spirits of the land. Jang Koro is believed to be the first of the Vagla Chiefs (Koro).

It is believed that the Vagla people who originated from the Sissala Land (Isala) first settled in the Jang enclave. This makes the Jang Koro (Jara) the Senior Most in terms of years on the Skin.

It is also believed that the Vagla people came from their ancestral home with the Sigma. For this reason, the Sigma Festival is celebrated among the Vagla groups like the Chakali people of the Wa East District of the Upper West Region. Thus, the popularity of the Sigma Festival among the Vagla-Chakali and other Sissala groups. Sigma Festival is an indigenous Vagla Group Festival.

In most cases within the Vagla society, the Sigma is under the control of the Heuhin (Siayo), Kuou, and or Koro. Sigma is a spiritual issue and initiation with medicine and shrine important to the Vagla cosmology, worldview of Vagla. Day Sigma is watched by the public but not Night Sigma.

Relevance of Jang Sigma festival in the great Vagla nation-state

One, the Sigma Festival is an opportunity for the Vagla People across the Great Vagla Nation State to visit their oldest village or their oldest community for a spiritual exercise (display of Sigma).

The Sigma Festival if harnessed well, has the potential for tourism attraction to the Jang Community and could be an opportunity to grow some economic activities in the Jang Tradition Area.

Jang Sigma Festival is an avenue to showcase the rich culture of the Vagla in Western Gonja and to let the people of Ghana see the great dancing and the prowess of the Vagla Sigma in Jang.

Moreover, the Vagla Sigma Festival of Jang is an avenue for the Vagla youth groups to learn the culture of their people in the oldest community in Vagla history as most of the youth strive to get to Jang for the annual Sigma Festival.

Finally, the Sigma Festival is part of the final funeral rites of some prominent traditional chiefs and elders in Vaglaland. Jang Sigma the pride of the Vaglas!!!