Ghanaian media personality and journalist Kwame Dadzie, who works with the Multimedia Group, has weighed in on the ongoing public debate surrounding the decision by the Foreign Affairs Ministry to issue a Ghanaian passport to American YouTube sensation IShowSpeed.
Reacting to the backlash that followed comments made by some media personalities, notably GHOne TV’s Lily Mohammed, Kwame Dadzie argued that Ghanaians must begin to separate politics from tourism and cultural diplomacy if the country truly wants to grow its economy.
According to him, Ghana’s tourism sector thrives on global visibility, storytelling, and influence, areas where creatives and digital content creators now play a major role.
Kwame Dadzie emphasized that the decision by the Foreign Affairs Ministry is perfectly aligned with the Beyond the Return agenda, stressing that giving IShowSpeed a Ghanaian passport does not devalue it but rather enhances Ghana’s soft power on the global stage.
“If you support the Year of Return and Beyond the Return initiatives, yet disagree that a Ghanaian passport should be given to someone who, within five hours, placed Ghana’s tourism and culture before a global audience, then something is not right,” he wrote.
To back his argument, the co-host of Daybreak Hitz cited figures from the 2024 Ghana Tourism Report, revealing that over 1.28 million international visitors contributed approximately US$4.8 billion to Ghana’s GDP, figures he noted do not even include domestic tourism or revenue from the creative arts sector.
He further compared the organic publicity Ghana received through IShowSpeed’s livestream to expensive international promotions, pointing out that Ghana once spent US$200,000 on a CNN documentary titled “CNN and Be Ghana.”
He also highlighted how IShowSpeed has embraced Ghanaian culture, adopted a Ghanaian name, and openly expressed emotional ties to the country, factors he believes could make the streamer a powerful tourism ambassador if his connection with Ghana deepens further.
Kwame Dadzie concluded by urging Ghanaians, especially those in the media space, not to downplay the influence of digital creators in today’s world.
“Anyone who sees IShowSpeed as an ordinary person needs to wake up. The world has changed. People in the creative space are shaping global conversations,” he added.
He ended his post with the quote: “Speed does not need a Ghanaian passport; Ghana stands to benefit more. Wake up!”
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Source:
www.zionfelix.net
