Minister of Tourism, Art and Culture Stands Up For Local Contents

Minster for Tourism, Arts and Culture in Ghana, Honourable Catherine Afeku, has proposed the establishment of a dedicated television channel to screen only Ghanaian films and series as a way of combating the influx of foreign movies and telenovellas in the country. 

Honurable Afeku said since the country could not institute an outright ban on foreign films, a Ghanaian-only movie channel will be one of the ways to commend the effort of the professionals, acknowledge their creativity and give kudos to intellectual works. It will also give filmmakers in the country a competitive urge as well as generate revenue for producers. 

“Under our democratic dispensation, it is not possible to censor movies like some have been calling for. What we can do is to find creative ways to make local content competitive and commercially viable and that is what my Ministry has set out to do,” she said. 

This is a declaration made known when the new executives of the Ghana Actors Guild (GAG) paid a courtesy call on her, Honourable Afeku cited the examples of Nollywood, Yoruba, Igbo and Swahlili television channels that showcased only local content. 

She, however, called for public-private collaboration in order to make the proposal a reality. “As a Ministry, we cannot carry out such an exercise by ourselves alone; we need the input and partnership of the private sector to carry it out. Ghanaian movies are losing their edge against foreign imports and there are many brilliant old Ghanaian movies that are unknown to these current generation just because they are not shown on television,” she said. 

Honurable Catherina Afeku now called for unity among the various creative arts associations in the country, asserting that the fortunes of all their members would be better served if they provided a united front. 

She promised the Ghana Actors Guild and other creative arts associations, a central secretariat to house them all.