The government has allocated GH¢20 million for the establishment of a Film Development Fund aimed at addressing financing challenges and supporting the growth of Ghana’s film industry.

The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, disclosed this during a Government Accountability Series engagement at the Jubilee House in Accra on Monday, August 10, 2026.

She said the allocation was made under the 2026 Budget and represents a major government intervention to strengthen the film industry and position it as a commercially viable part of Ghana’s creative economy.

According to the Minister, the Fund is expected to support activities across several areas of the film value chain.

These include film development and production, distribution and exhibition, capacity building and skills development, as well as innovation in animation, digital storytelling and new media.

Target to increase film’s GDP contribution

The National Film Authority (NFA), operating under the policy direction of the Ministry, has set a medium-term target of increasing the film sector’s contribution to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product from 0.2% to at least 1%.

The Minister said the target reflects the government’s intention to treat film not only as an entertainment activity but as a commercial and industrial sector capable of contributing to economic growth.

The sector is expected to support job creation, local and foreign investment and Ghana’s participation in regional and international content markets.

Wider economic impact

Although the direct contribution of film to GDP remains an emerging area, the Ministry said the industry has significant indirect economic impact.

Film and audiovisual production creates activity across areas including hospitality, broadcasting, advertising, events, logistics, digital platforms and tourism.

The industry is also described as an important source of employment for young people, with the majority of practitioners reportedly being below the age of 35.

NFA flagship programmes

The National Film Authority has implemented a number of programmes designed to stimulate activity across the film value chain.

One of these was the National Film Dialogue, held in September 2025.

The dialogue served as a platform for government, industry practitioners, investors and regulators to discuss major issues affecting Ghana’s film industry and to build alignment around priorities for the sector.

The NFA has also been working on measures aimed at improving regulation and creating a more professional and investment-friendly film environment.

Stronger regulation and industry databases

The National Film Authority has strengthened its film and television content classification systems while streamlining licensing and compliance processes.

The Authority has also engaged broadcasters, exhibitors and digital platforms as part of efforts to improve standards within the industry.

Another area of focus has been the development of national film databases and practitioner registries.

The measures are intended to improve content standards, protect audiences, support intellectual property and increase investor confidence in Ghana’s film industry.

GH¢20m Fund awaiting operational framework

While the government has allocated the GH¢20 million, the Ministry said the modalities required to operationalise the Film Development Fund are still being worked on.

According to the Minister, the modalities are currently being considered by Parliament.

Once operational, the Fund is expected to stimulate film production, improve the quality of Ghanaian content, create employment and strengthen Ghanaian intellectual property for both domestic and international markets.

The government’s intervention forms part of a broader effort to position Ghana’s creative industries as drivers of economic growth, employment, investment and cultural promotion.

Ghana has increased the number of standardised Ghanaian languages from 11 to 16, as part of efforts to promote indigenous languages and develop them into reading and learning materials for schools.

The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, disclosed this during a Government Accountability Series at the Jubilee House in Accra on Monday, August 10, 2026.

According to the Minister, the development is being led by the Bureau of Ghana Languages (BGL) as part of efforts to fulfil the government’s commitment to restructure the Bureau and strengthen its mandate to standardise and develop Ghanaian languages.

The latest additions to the list of standardised languages include Kusaal, spoken by the Kusasi people in the Upper East Region; Likpakpaanl, spoken by the Konkomba people; and Sisaali, spoken by the Sisaala people.

The three languages were launched as standardised orthographies on June 23, 2026.

The Minister said the development followed earlier work to promote the use and preservation of Ghanaian languages, including the launch of the Orthography of the Ahanta Language in collaboration with the Member of Parliament for Ahanta West, Mavis Kukua Bisue.

Ghana Languages Dialogue

As part of efforts to promote indigenous languages, the Bureau of Ghana Languages organised the Ghana Languages Dialogue in November 2025.

The programme brought together key stakeholders to educate Ghanaians on the importance of speaking and preserving local languages.

The initiative forms part of the Ministry and BGL’s broader objective of ensuring that Ghanaian languages are developed sufficiently to support reading and learning materials in schools.

Three more languages expected

The Tourism Minister said the work is not ending with the current 16 standardised languages.

According to her, three additional standardised orthographies are expected to be launched before the end of 2026.

The move is intended to further advance the government’s vision of developing and standardising Ghanaian languages in line with its manifesto commitment.

Preserving mother tongues

The Ministry has also been using cultural programmes to encourage Ghanaians, particularly younger generations, to maintain their connection with indigenous languages.

The Bureau marked the Ghana Languages Festival in July 2025, an annual event aimed at educating the public on the importance of speaking Ghanaian languages and passing them on to children.

The Ministry also highlighted the annual International Mother Languages celebration on February 23 as another opportunity to showcase Ghana’s linguistic diversity and raise awareness about the importance of preserving local languages as part of the country’s cultural heritage.

Ghanaian languages through animation

In another initiative, the Bureau of Ghana Languages is working on the animation of Ghanaian languages.

The project is intended to introduce Ghanaian culture and indigenous languages to children through cartoons.

The Ministry believes such approaches can help make local languages more accessible and engaging to younger audiences while supporting efforts to preserve Ghana’s linguistic heritage.

The expansion from 11 to 16 standardised languages, together with the planned addition of three more, forms part of the government’s wider efforts to strengthen Ghana’s cultural identity through the preservation and development of indigenous languages.

Ghana has secured international recognition for its Highlife music and dance, with the genre successfully inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, described the achievement as one of the country’s proudest accomplishments in 2025.

She made the disclosure on Monday, August 10, 2026, during  a Government Accountability Series engagement at the Jubilee House in Accra, where she accounted for developments and achievements recorded in the tourism, culture and creative arts sector.

According to the Minister, the inscription followed the formal procedures established under the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

How Ghana secured the recognition

The process involved Ghana preparing a detailed nomination dossier documenting the history and significance of Highlife music and dance.

The documentation covered areas including Highlife’s history, performance practices, significance to communities and methods of transmission.

The process also involved the participation and consent of cultural practitioners, highlighting the role of people directly connected to the tradition in efforts to secure its international recognition.

Highlife joins Ghana’s recognised cultural heritage

The UNESCO inscription means Highlife music and dance now have international recognition as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.

The Minister explained that, in simple terms, the recognition establishes Highlife as a heritage that Ghana has given to the world, drawing a comparison with the international cultural significance of Ghana’s Kente.

She said the achievement strengthens Ghana’s cultural identity and provides an opportunity to position Highlife as an important part of the country’s cultural and tourism brand.

Boost for cultural tourism

The Ministry believes the recognition could have significant implications for Ghana’s tourism sector.

According to the Minister, the UNESCO inscription is expected to help boost cultural tourism and Ghana’s global visibility.

Highlife’s international recognition could also help attract visitors interested in experiencing Ghana’s music, culture and heritage while creating opportunities for the country to use its musical tradition as part of destination promotion.

The Ministry further expects the recognition to open international opportunities for Ghanaian musicians and other creatives.

Protecting Highlife for future generations

Beyond tourism and international exposure, the Minister said the inscription provides an opportunity to strengthen efforts to safeguard Highlife for future generations.

The UNESCO recognition is expected to support more structured efforts to preserve the tradition, including maintaining its history, practices and methods of transmission.

This is particularly significant because Highlife has evolved over generations while remaining an important part of Ghana’s musical and cultural identity.

Culture as economic value

The Tourism Minister also linked the achievement to the broader economic potential of Ghana’s cultural sector.

She said the recognition strengthens Ghana’s cultural brand and reinforces culture as a form of soft power with real economic value.

The Ministry’s broader tourism and creative arts agenda seeks to use Ghana’s cultural assets—including music, festivals, heritage, film, fashion and traditional arts—to create jobs, attract visitors, support creative entrepreneurs and contribute to national economic development.

The Highlife inscription therefore represents not only a cultural achievement but also an opportunity to strengthen Ghana’s position internationally as a destination for cultural tourism and creative enterprise.

Ghana’s domestic tourism sector recorded a 7% increase in visits in 2025, rising from 1.68 million visits in 2024 to 1.79 million visits, Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie has disclosed.

Speaking at a Government Accountability Series engagement at Jubilee House in Accra on Monday, August 10, 2026, the Minister said the growth formed part of the progress recorded by the tourism sector under her tenure.

According to her, the increase in domestic tourism demonstrates growing interest among Ghanaians in exploring attractions and destinations within the country.

The Minister also disclosed that Ghana recorded 1,306,962 international tourist arrivals in 2025, up from 1,288,804 arrivals in 2024.

International tourist arrivals generated an estimated $4.34 billion in revenue for Ghana in 2025.

Top attractions drive domestic visits

The Ministry said Ghana’s leading tourism attractions attracted significant numbers of visitors during the year.

The 10 most visited attractions collectively recorded 1,377,588 visitors in 2025, accounting for approximately 77% of all domestic tourism site visits nationwide.

The attractions were:

• Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park
• Kakum National Park
• Bonsu Arboretum/Eco Park
• Cape Coast Castle
• Manhyia Palace
• Kumasi Zoo
• Accra Zoo
• Elmina Castle
• Shai Hills Resource Reserve
• Aburi Botanical Gardens

The figures highlight the importance of Ghana’s historical sites, wildlife attractions, parks and cultural destinations to the growth of domestic tourism.

Digital platforms support tourism growth

The Ministry also highlighted the deployment of the Ghana Tourism Marketplace (GTM) and the Ghana Tourism Investment Platform (GTiP) as part of efforts to move the sector into the digital economy.

The Ghana Tourism Marketplace allows tourists to book verified experiences online, while the investment platform provides access to tourism investment opportunities and enables local tourism operators to reach wider markets.

The Ministry said the platforms recorded significant bookings during the December 2025 festive season, with the “Accra by Night” tour accounting for about 93% of total platform revenue.

Night tourism expands opportunities

The introduction of “Accra by Night” was also identified as an important development aimed at expanding tourism beyond traditional daytime activities.

The initiative brings together restaurants, artists, transport operators and small businesses while supporting the government’s 24-Hour Economy agenda.

The Ministry said the strong demand for the night-tourism product demonstrates the potential for tourism activities to operate beyond conventional daytime hours.

More tourism businesses licensed

The expansion of domestic tourism has also coincided with growth in Ghana’s tourism business ecosystem.

Licensed tourism enterprises increased from 6,702 in 2024 to 7,109 in 2025, representing 6.1% growth.

Accommodation businesses increased from 5,210 to 5,424, while food, beverage and entertainment enterprises rose from 814 to 881.

Travel trade enterprises recorded the strongest growth, increasing from 678 to 804, representing 18.6% growth.

The Ministry said the expansion in travel trade enterprises reflects growth in tour operators, travel agencies, destination services, excursion businesses and other tourism intermediaries.

Tourism and jobs

The Ministry also linked the growth of tourism businesses to employment opportunities across the sector.

The average workforce of star-rated hotels was reported at 101 workers per hotel, comprising 80 full-time workers and 21 temporary workers.

The Tourism Minister said the government would continue to focus on strengthening tourism, culture and the creative arts as contributors to job creation, economic growth and national development.

The President of the Foundation of Concerned Arts Professionals (FOCAP), Kojo Preko Dankwa, has maintained the organisation’s zero rating of the government’s performance in the creative arts sector, insisting that little has changed since its first-year assessment.

According to Kojo Preko Dankwa, FOCAP initially scored the government zero during its first-year review after assessing the promises and commitments made to the creative arts industry.

Speaking on JoyPrime, he said the organisation had conducted a fresh assessment six months after its initial review and had reached the same conclusion.

“We scored the NDC government zero. And six months down the lane, it is still zero,” he said.

He explained that FOCAP’s assessment was not based on routine administrative activities such as meetings, official travels, conferences, visits or the signing of documents.

Rather, the organisation was interested in measuring the government against the specific commitments it made to Ghanaians before assuming office.

“We’re not looking at the normal procedural ministry work when you get there to do. I mean, we know there are meetings, we know there are travels to do conferences, we know you need to do one or two visits to certain places, sign papers and all that,” he explained.

“We’re looking at why you are in government, why we voted for you. We voted for you based on some things you told us that we’re convinced of,” he added.

Kojo Preko Dankwa questioned whether the government’s efforts to promote Ghana’s creative industry had produced visible results.

He said the sector needed interventions that would have a direct and noticeable impact on creative professionals and the wider industry.

He cited the promotion of Ghana and the use of content creators as areas where FOCAP expected to see measurable outcomes.

“There is a deliberate attempt to see you promote Ghana. That is the impact we’re looking for. Have we seen it? Have we seen you do anything beyond that? No, it is zero,” he said.

He also questioned the pace at which some relatively straightforward policy interventions were being implemented.

According to him, issues such as reducing rates charged by event centres should not take years to address.

“Ordinary things like cutting rates for event centres. What would take you ten years? One year, nine months to do that? No, it is not,” he argued.

The FOCAP President also addressed the government’s establishment of a board for the Creative Arts Agency, which was cited as one of the developments under the administration.

He acknowledged that the board had been constituted but argued that the move should not be considered a major achievement because it was already required by law.

“For the first time, we have a board for the Creative Arts Agency,” the interviewer noted.

Kojo Preko Dankwa responded that the establishment of the board was simply the implementation of an existing legal requirement.

He explained that the relevant legislation already provided for the existence of a board and that the failure to constitute one under the previous administration was a defect that needed to be corrected.

“It was a defect that we saw. And they fixed it. Because in the Act, it’s supposed to be done,” he said.

However, he maintained that implementing what was already required by law did not, in FOCAP’s view, amount to a significant new intervention that should substantially change the organisation’s assessment.

“The Act, which was done, was not done even when they were in power. It is stating that you need to have a board. So, coming into, I mean, put it into action, you’ve not done anything,” he stated.

When challenged that some work had been done through the establishment of the board, Kojo Preko Dankwa remained firm.

“No, there’s no work done there,” he insisted.

FOCAP’s position therefore remains that the government has yet to demonstrate sufficient progress on the substantive promises and interventions that motivated creative industry stakeholders to support its election, resulting in the organisation maintaining its zero score for the government’s performance in the sector.