Idris Elba meets Mahama over ultra-modern film village initiative

British actor and filmmaker, Idris Elba, has proposed a collaboration with the government to develop the creative sector in Ghana.

The actor, who paid a courtesy call to President John Dramani Mahama on March 28, 2025, suggested the idea of establishing an ultra-modern film and creative village near the Osu Castle.

“We are still dedicated and focused on boosting the creative sector in Ghana. We had a fantastic opportunity to locate this project near Osu Castle, which we believe is a very important component of the creative build,” he said.

In his statements, Idris Elba emphasised that the initiative would generate employment opportunities, particularly for those in the creative arts industry.

“We’ve done some critical thinking about how we can do this, and it’s centered around education, as well as creating employment and opportunities for Ghanaian creatives,” he added.

In response, President John Mahama welcomed the initiative, stating that his office would ensure proper planning to make the project a success.

“With Osu Castle, we can’t make significant changes because it’s a UNESCO heritage site, so we’ll focus on restoring it… We’re also planning a crafts market where people can purchase African crafts. Ghana was once known as the Gold Coast, and we produce a lot of gold,” he said.

“We need to plan the urban development around this area because the traffic could impact the district. We’ll need urban engineers to ensure there’s no congestion,” Mahama concluded.

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