Abla Dzifa Gomashie (M) during a visit to KNUST
“Culture that lacks economic relevance should not be practised. If our culture is our way of life, then it must also put food on our tables.”
These were the powerful words of the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, during a visit to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), as she called for the integration of culture, education, and economic development.
The visit forms part of the minister’s national campaign to deepen cultural consciousness and promote practical partnerships between academia and the creative economy.
Addressing the university management, Gomashie encouraged the university to draw inspiration from development models in Asia, particularly China, where cultural identity is a driver of economic growth.
She echoed the vision of Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who asserted that “the African is capable of managing his own affairs,” stressing that Ghana’s development must reflect cultural pride and self-reliance.
Speaking on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Dr Kwabena Asubonteng, Head of the Department of Indigenous Arts and Technology, underscored the need to transform Ghana’s cultural assets, festivals, indigenous crafts, food, and heritage, into globally marketable products.
“We must make sure that when people come to Ghana, they leave with tangible results, something they can eat, wear, listen to, or hang on their wall,” he said.
Dr Asubonteng praised the minister’s visit and welcomed the prospect of future collaboration, highlighting the Department of Culture as a promising space for impactful partnerships.
Gomashie further charged academic institutions to go beyond theoretical studies of culture, urging them to train students to innovate, commercialise, and build sustainable careers in the creative arts sector.
She emphasised the need to merge education with entrepreneurship for the growth of the creative economy.
Before concluding her visit, the minister toured an exhibition of locally made artifacts and handwoven crafts, commending the creativity and craftsmanship of the students and exhibitors.
