Ganyobi Niiquaye
RENOWNED PAGEANT Coordinator, Ganyobi Niiquaye, has stated that Ghana’s emerging national pageantry industry is increasingly being recognised as a platform for youth leadership, cultural promotion and community development.
According to him, despite their growing impact, many of these platforms continue to face a major challenge: a lack of sponsorship and strategic partnerships from corporate organisations.
He said in recent years, pageants such as Mister and Miss Imperial Ghana, Mister Tourism Ghana, Ghanaian King, Miss Eco Ghana, and Miss Sapphire Ghana have sought to redefine pageantry by shifting the focus from physical appearance to purpose-driven leadership, advocacy and community service.
“Contestants are encouraged to champion social causes, undertake community projects and serve as ambassadors for positive change. For many organisers, turning these ambitions into reality has become increasingly difficult due to limited financial support,” he disclosed.
Also, Venunye Teku, CEO of Miss Sapphire Ghana, said securing sponsorship remains one of the greatest hurdles facing emerging pageantry platforms, noting that many organisations still perceive pageantry as entertainment rather than a vehicle for youth development and social impact.
He added that inadequate sponsorship affects nearly every aspect of organising a national pageant, including production quality, publicity, contestant development and community outreach.
Isaac Acheampong, Chief Operations Officer of Mister Tourism Ghana, echoed similar concerns, noting that limited corporate backing continues to constrain how much emerging pageants can invest in contestant development and community outreach across the industry.
Both Teku and Acheampong argue that pageantry contributes significantly to Ghana’s creative economy, creating opportunities for fashion designers, photographers, makeup artists, stylists, choreographers, event planners, content creators and media practitioners — while also equipping young people with leadership, communication and entrepreneurial skills and promoting tourism and Ghanaian culture. Teku believes corporate Ghana must rethink its perception of the industry.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke