Ghanaian actor and filmmaker Kwadwo Nkansah, popularly known as Lil Win, has recounted a frightening experience on a movie set about 15 years ago when a stunt nearly resulted in a serious neck injury.

The actor shared the story in a video posted on social media, explaining that he was once required to jump from a storey building while playing the role of an armed robber.

According to Lil Win, the scene was supposed to be handled by a professional stunt performer. However, because there was no trained stuntman available at the time, he was asked to perform the dangerous jump himself.

He explained that the production team had positioned three cameras to capture the stunt from different angles. His first attempt was successful, as he completed the jump and landed safely.

However, one of the cameras reportedly failed to record the scene properly. This meant Lil Win had to repeat the stunt.

It was during the second attempt that the situation went wrong.

Lil Win said he did not notice a wire in his path while jumping. His leg caught the wire, causing him to lose control of his landing and putting his neck dangerously close to the ground.

He said he was fortunate to avoid a potentially serious injury.

“I jumped for the first time and landed safely, but there were three cameras, and one of them failed to capture the moment, so I had to do it again. The second time, I did not see a wire and my leg got caught in it. I could have landed on my neck, but I somehow managed to land on my feet.”

Although he escaped a major neck injury, Lil Win said the force of the landing left him with significant pain in his leg.

Despite the injury, he did not cancel his plans for later that day. The actor said he travelled to Techiman to honour a scheduled performance.

Lil Win explained that the event organiser was determined to have him appear because fans were expecting to see him. He said the organiser wanted the audience to see him for themselves and confirm whether reports of his injury were genuine.

According to Lil Win, the incident remains one of the most dangerous experiences he has encountered during his years in the Ghanaian movie industry.

Ghanaian highlife musician Ofori Amponsah has criticised what he describes as a culture in Ghana where people are often celebrated and appreciated only after they have died.

Speaking on UTV’s United Showbiz on August 9, 2026, the musician said Ghanaians frequently fail to recognise the contributions of individuals while they are alive, only to honour them after their death.

According to Ofori Amponsah, the trend is particularly evident in Ghana’s creative industry, where musicians, actors and other personalities sometimes receive greater recognition after their passing than they did during their active years.

“Ghanaians don’t normally celebrate people; what we celebrate is death. When you’re alive, you will never be celebrated until you die,” he said.

Touching on discussions about a possible museum in honour of the late highlife legend Daddy Lumba, Ofori Amponsah said he does not support the idea of government taking responsibility for constructing such a facility.

He argued that the family of the late musician should be capable of establishing a museum to preserve his legacy.

“I don’t agree with the government building a museum; I believe the family can do that. If we should build Daddy Lumba’s museum, it’s the foreigners who will come and watch,” he stated.

Ofori Amponsah instead called for greater attention to be placed on supporting and appreciating talented people while they are still alive.

He believes the failure to adequately celebrate people during their lifetime may also be contributing to some of the challenges facing Ghana.

“We didn’t learn anything from someone when he’s alive, but we’re honouring him when he dies. That’s why there’s a lot of corruption in this country,” he said.

The highlife musician further explained that the absence of recognition during people’s lifetime could push some individuals to pursue wealth and success by any means necessary.

He suggested that some people may become desperate to create a legacy because they believe society only celebrates those who achieve significant success.

“People know that if they don’t push and leave a legacy, they won’t be celebrated; that’s why everyone is trying hard to achieve something even if it’s illegal,” he added.

Ofori Amponsah also shared personal experiences from his association with Daddy Lumba, recalling a performance they had together at the Polo Theatre.

He said he was surprised by the large turnout, particularly the number of foreigners who attended the event specifically to see the legendary Ghanaian musician.

He also recalled seeing American musicians who had travelled or made arrangements to meet Daddy Lumba.

“Daddy Lumba and I went to Polo Theatre to play a show, and if you see the foreigners and the people who showed up just to see Daddy Lumba, and the American musicians who were calling to meet up with him, you won’t believe it,” he recalled.

Ofori Amponsah further revealed that he once travelled to the United States with Daddy Lumba for about three to four weeks, during which the late musician received considerable admiration and special treatment from people who valued his work.

He said they booked about four rooms during the trip, with one room costing approximately US$1,000 per day. According to him, someone eventually paid the bill because of the respect and admiration surrounding Daddy Lumba.

“I went to America with him for three to four weeks. We booked like four rooms and one room cost about $1,000 a day. The bill was paid by someone because of him,” he disclosed.

Ofori Amponsah stressed that Ghana should not allow Daddy Lumba’s contribution to the music industry to be forgotten.

He urged stakeholders to take steps to preserve the late musician’s legacy and ensure that his music and influence continue to inspire future generations.

“This country is not supposed to forget him, and I’m so grateful that I was so close to him. We don’t have to let his talent and the music die,” Ofori Amponsah added.

Businessman Ibrahim Mahama has shown support for the family of late actress Beverly Afaglo with a GH¢200,000 donation towards her funeral expenses.

The donation was made public during the actress’s final funeral rites at the forecourt of the State House in Accra on Saturday, August 8, 2026.

Mr Mahama attended the ceremony alongside family members, friends, colleagues in the creative industry and other dignitaries who gathered to bid farewell to the actress.

The announcement of the donation was met with applause from mourners, as the family received the gesture as part of the support extended to them following Afaglo’s death.

Beverly Afaglo died on May 24, 2026, aged 42, after reportedly battling cancer for about two years.

She was a prominent figure in Ghana’s film industry, having spent more than two decades building a career in acting.

In addition to her work in entertainment, Afaglo ventured into business and established Traffic Shawarma, which later expanded to several branches.

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.