Ghanaian television broadcaster, Paul Adom-Otchere, has described the Ghanaian creative industry as a billion-dollar venture with the potential to drive national economic development.
Speaking on Joy TV’s Prime Time Show with George Quaye, Adom-Otchere emphasized that the creative arts industry is often undervalued, despite its economic potential.
“People have not really connected the fact that arts is a multi-billion dollar business,” he said.
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Paul Adom-Otchere expressed disappointment that the government has failed to grasp the industry’s significance
“I was excited with the Year of Return, but I really hope that we are going to get a government one day who really understands that arts is as important as cocoa, as important as gold. The music industry is as important as anything else,” he said.
Addressing theatre productions in Ghana, Paul Adom-Otchere highlighted the need for consistent weekend shows, citing examples from abroad. “Recently, I was speaking with the guys who did ‘I Told You So’. And I was telling them that we should have productions in Ghana every weekend. The Lion King shows in London every day. Umoja used to show in Johannesburg every day,” he explained.
When asked why he didn’t pursue a position in the arts sector during the NPP’s tenure, Adom-Otchere admitted he didn’t feel competent enough.
“I don’t feel myself competent as an administrator of the arts. I don’t think I know enough to be an administrator in the area of the arts. But if I have the opportunity, I will give the arts my support,” he said.
Paul Adom-Otchere also revealed that he lobbied for George Andah to become Tourism Minister, but his idea didn’t gain traction due to misconceptions about tourism’s economic value.
To address the industry’s challenges, Adom-Otchere proposed curating content for TV in a digitized format, accessible to all Ghanaians.