The Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Marketing and Special Duties at the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey, has responded to complaints about the dominance of foreign artistes at government-led events during Detty December.
The concerns followed events such as Taste the Culture, a government programme supported by the GTA, which featured two Nigerian headliners, and Ghana in Praise, championed by the GTA in partnership with private event company Genet Services, which also had three Nigerian musicians on the bill.
Although Abeiku Aggrey maintained that there is nothing wrong with engaging foreign artistes, he admitted on Showbiz A to Z on Joy FM, hosted by Kwame Dadzie, that the authority had taken the feedback in good faith.
“We have listened. If we did three (foreign artistes), maybe next time we do one, and 20 Ghanaians,” he said.
He, however, noted that such decisions are sometimes necessary to promote Ghana as a premier cultural and economic Pan-African destination and to boost tourism.
Speaking on the programme, which aired on January 10, 2026, Aggrey said: “I’m not saying that we shouldn’t give preferential treatment to our locals, but what is wrong with it if our African neighbours come to our country? What is wrong with that? If there’s nothing wrong with that, then why are we crying about it?”
He added: “If not for the European invasion and partition of Africa, we’d be one people. But we’re no longer one people. In the wisdom of Nkrumah and the founding fathers of the AU in 1963, the vision was to have a united Africa. Ghana has always been home for Africans. When we say that we are Ghana, we are the gateway to Africa, and we are the trailblazers of Pan-Africanism and all that, it is not just a mere wishful saying. How are we to achieve this position if we don’t allow other Africans to come to the country?”
The issue of foreign dominance in Ghana’s creative space has long been a concern within the industry.
In music and other creative sectors, pressure groups and industry stakeholders have consistently called for stronger local representation at major events.
While proponents of campaigns for more local content agree that there is value in hosting foreign creatives, they argue that during Detty December and similar occasions, foreign influence should be limited as a way of promoting Ghana’s creative economy.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com
