Ghana’s Ministry of Tourism to Launch Inaugural Africa Festival of Arts and Creatives in December

The Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts (MoTCCA) of Ghana announced plans to host the maiden Africa Festival of Arts and Creatives from December 9 to 12, 2025. The event will take place in Accra and aims to celebrate the diversity and excellence of African arts and culture.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series in Accra, Sector Minister Madam Ablah Dzifa Gomashie emphasized that the festival is expected to create opportunities for over 20,000 Ghanaians working within the tourism and creative arts sectors. The initiative is positioned to elevate Africa’s creative economy as a significant driver of development.

Madam Gomashie outlined several objectives of the festival, including promoting investment, entrepreneurship, tourism, innovation, and skills development, with a particular focus on empowering youth and women. The festival will feature a broad range of artistic expressions, such as music, dance, theatre, film, literature, and fashion.

The event is a product of an agreement between MoTCCA and the African Union Development Agency, aimed at deepening collaboration and cultural diplomacy among creatives and stakeholders across the continent. Madam Gomashie stated, "The festival will showcase the richness of African arts and culture through music, dance, theatre, film, literature, fashion… It will strengthen Pan-African unity and global engagement by reconnecting Africa with its diaspora and protect African cultural leadership and creative excellence on the global stage."

She further noted that the festival intends to leave a lasting continental legacy while advancing Agenda 2063 through culture-led development.

Highlighting progress in Ghana’s tourism and creative sectors, Madam Gomashie reported that domestic tourism grew by over seven percent in 2025. This growth is attributed to ongoing improvements in tourism infrastructure and efforts to enhance local content creation.

She cited specific developments such as upgrades at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and a partnership with the W.E.B. Du Bois Foundation to manage the Du Bois Centre, which aims to strengthen Ghana’s global cultural visibility.

Additionally, Madam Gomashie announced a collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to host an Intellectual Property Conference targeting musicians from Africa and the Caribbean. This initiative seeks to build professional capacity in copyright law and facilitate the co-creation of copyright-protected works across both regions.

Plans are also underway to promote public awareness and strengthen collaboration around the country’s newly revised National Cultural Policy. The minister emphasized that tourism, culture, and creative arts contribute significantly to job creation, revenue generation, and national identity.

She affirmed the ministry’s commitment to digitization, infrastructure development, skills training, private sector partnerships, and inclusive growth within the sector.

In related remarks, Madam Gomashie identified the Volta Region as Ghana’s next major tourism hub, signaling continued strategic focus on regional development.

This inaugural Africa Festival of Arts and Creatives represents a landmark effort by Ghana to position itself as a continental leader in culture-led economic growth and Pan-African cultural unity.