Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal
Ghana’s creative arts industry must be resourced to optimise its potential to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country, Mr. Mike Amon-Kwafo, a creative arts consultant, has said.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, he said the industry needed all-around investment to boost its competitiveness as an economic pillar that could create value for the country’s development agenda.
“We need investment in the industry, ranging from putting in place the infrastructure, creating and resourcing the market, making available seed money for industry players, developing our human resources, and providing the needed technologies.
“The state has not really put in any significant investment, in terms of growth that would make a difference, but as for the potential, we can vouch for it. For instance, tourism has seen some growth, and if the agencies are able to increase the inflow of tourism into the country, that is a plus for us,” he said.
He said the culture and creative arts industry, in general, is self-managed, where industry players from fine arts, film, visual arts, and arts and crafts, among others had almost zero input in policy decisions.
Mr. Amon-Kwafo pointed out that Ghana needed to diversify its economy by giving more importance to the creative industry, in lieu of its potential to rake in revenue in the export sector.
He, however, lauded government for the ongoing construction of the Kwadaso Senior High School purposely for the industry, as mentioned by President Akufo-Addo in the State of the Nation Address (SONA).
–GNA