By Leo Nelson
Ghana’s Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called for deliberate national policies and conscious public support to strengthen Ghana’s creative arts industry and position it as a major contributor to economic growth.
According to her, Ghana’s creative sector possesses enormous potential to create jobs, preserve the country’s cultural heritage and generate significant revenue, but requires intentional investment and policy direction to thrive.
Speaking at a stakeholder workshop in Accra to formally validate the UNESCO CULTURAL INDICATORS 2030, an initiative launched last year, Minister Gomashie called on Ghanaians to make deliberate choices that support local Creative Industries by patronising Ghanaian food, fashion and music, stressing that such decisions sustain livelihoods and create employment opportunities.
The workshop forms part of Ghana’s efforts to integrate culture fully, not on the periphery or as an afterthought, into national development planning and strengthen evidence-based policymaking within the cultural and creative sectors.
The Minister said Ghana must move beyond rhetoric and implement practical measures that would empower creatives and promote indigenous cultural expressions on both local and international platforms.
“The Cultural and Creative Sector contributes significantly to the economy but often, it is perceived mainly as entertainment rather than a strategic development sector. That has been our bane,” Gomashie reflected.
“Culture should not be treated as a stand-alone sector but as a cross-cutting force that shapes governance, education, inclusion, economic participation for sustainable development.
We must take strategic steps toward making Ghanaian culture more visible, measurable and central to the country’s sustainable development agenda,” she stressed.
She also underscored the importance of collaboration between government agencies, private investors and development partners in building sustainable structures for the creative economy, reaffirming government’s commitment to revitalising the tourism and creative arts sectors through strategic policies and programmes aimed at enhancing employment and boosting national development.
The workshop brought together policymakers, cultural practitioners, development partners and technical experts within the cultural and creative sectors.
Minister Gomashie expressed gratitude to the European Union (EU) UNESCO, the Ghana Statistical Service and “my super amazing team from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, led by Richardson Commey Fio and Divine Owusu Ansah.”
As Ghana takes bold strides in tackling shortfalls in the Arts and Creative sector, industry players are expressing optimism that stronger support for local creatives would not only improve livelihoods but also enhance Ghana’s image globally through Arts and Culture.