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AfCFTA Forum & Festival: Ghana Readies to Host “Creatives Connect Afrika” at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, in partnership with the Government of Ghana and Africa Tourism Partners, is set to launch a defining moment for the continent’s creative economy as it hosts the inaugural AfCFTA Forum and Festival on Tourism, Creative, and Cultural Industries, branded Creatives Connect Afrika.
The event will take place from Monday, November 24 to Wednesday, November 26, 2025, at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, Ghana.
Held under the auspices of John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, and the leadership of Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, the forum is designed to strategically transition Africa’s creative sector, particularly Film, Music, and Fashion industries from cultural forces into high-value pillars of continental trade and investment.
The Tripartite Partnership: Architects of Continental Integration
The “Creatives Connect Afrika” forum is underpinned by a powerful three-way partnership, each organisation contributing a vital element to the event’s success:
The AfCFTA Secretariat functions as the project’s policy engine, leveraging its position as the custodian of the continent’s single market to integrate the creative industries into the formal trade architecture.
Its core mandate is to operationalise key protocols – such as those on Trade in Services, IPR, and Digital Trade – to dismantle existing cross-border barriers and provide the structural foundation for the estimated $50 billion creative sector to become a core driver of Africa’s industrialisation.
The Black Star Experience (BSE) Secretariat serves as the national anchor and cultural champion, confirming the Government of Ghana’s deep commitment to the sector.
This flagship initiative, with a vision to Transform Ghana into Africa’s Culture Capital and inject US$5 billion into the economy by 2027, ensures the continental dialogue is rooted in a dedicated national framework. The BSE’s co-hosting role guarantees that the forum’s outcomes directly support Ghana’s strategy to generate jobs and global influence through three of its cultural pillars – Film, Music, and Fashion.
Africa Tourism Partners (ATP) acts as the strategic and commercial facilitator, specializing in investment promotion and business events (MICE). ATP’s primary role is to ensure the forum operates as a viable tourism and investment marketplace by designing the high-impact Business-to-Business (B2B) and Matchmaking Sessions.
They establish the necessary commercial infrastructure, utilising tourism to foster a synergy between travel and commerce that accelerates continental deals for creative entrepreneurs.
AfCFTA: Policy Meets Prosperity
For the AfCFTA Secretariat, the Forum provides a crucial platform to operationalise the agreement’s protocols, particularly on Trade in Services, Investment, and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).
Mrs. Emily Mburu-Ndoria, Director, Trade in Services, Investment, Intellectual Property Rights and Digital Trade at the AfCFTA Secretariat, has been instrumental in working with the government and private sector partners to organise the maiden edition of the continent-wide event in Ghana.
“For too long, the immense cultural value created in Lagos, Dakar, Nairobi, and Cairo has struggled to traverse African borders due to fragmented policies and prohibitive laws and regulations,” explained Ms. Mburu-Ndoria. “
Creatives Connect Afrika is the intervention point. It is where policymakers and creatives sit down to unlock movement and mobility for artists, and establish financial instruments that understand and invest in creative intellectual property.” She commended Ghana for partnering the AfCFTA Secretariat to host this very important event.
A Presidential Mandate for Creative Trade
The co-hosting role by Ghana, facilitated through the Black Star Experience Secretariat, confirms the national priority placed on the creative economy.
Mr. Rex Owusu Marfo (Rex Omar), the Presidential Staffer for The Black Star Experience Secretariat at the Office of the President, confirmed the national commitment to turning cultural influence into economic reality, noting the collaborative efforts by his office, the AfCFTA Secretariat and the Africa Tourism Partners to bring this maiden edition of the Creatives Connect Africa to life.
“The Black Star Experience is a deliberate strategy to position Ghana as the continent’s leading creative and cultural hub. Creatives Connect Afrika, hosted in collaboration with the AfCFTA, and ATP allows us to take this vision continental,” stated Mr. Owusu Marfo.
He added, “Our youth are generating globally dominant cultural exports.
Our duty now is to provide the continental policy plumbing and financial structures necessary for these creators to trade seamlessly across Africa’s 1.4 billion-person market.”
Tourism as the Gateway to Trade
The third partner, Africa Tourism Partners (ATP), views the festival as the perfect synergy between travel, tourism, heritage, and commerce.
Mr. Kwakye Donkor, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Africa Tourism Partners, noted how the event will use tourism infrastructure to facilitate creative trade.
“Tourism is the most immediate way to monetize cultural experiences. By integrating the Forum with a high-calibre Festival, we are creating a reason for investors, buyers, and general travellers to come to Ghana and spend,” said Mr. Donkor. “We are building the travel and logistics pipeline necessary to support the creative value chain.”
Forum and Festival Programme Overview
The three-day Creatives Connect Afrika Forum and Festival features a rich blend of masterclasses, policy dialogues, business matchmaking, and cultural showcases. Day One is dedicated to industry-led Masterclasses in Film, Fashion, Music, and Fintech, delivered by leading experts from across Africa. Sessions focus on strengthening the creative value chain, intellectual property, digital distribution, financing, and intra-African market access under the AfCFTA.
Day Two features the Official Opening Ceremony, with keynote addresses from high-level dignitaries including the His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, and His Excellency Wamkele Mene.
The day continues with thought-leadership panels on expanding Africa’s creative economy through tourism, digital innovation, and policy alignment. It also includes film screenings, cultural performances, and expert dialogues on unlocking investment opportunities in Film, Fashion, and Music.
The entire programme is designed to merge policy, commerce, and culture – connecting creatives, investors, policymakers, and industry leaders to drive trade, mobility, and economic growth across Africa’s creative and cultural industries.
The cultural centrepiece of the event includes the Creatives Connect Afrika Runway, a premium showcase for African fashion designers, and the grand finale Cultural Night & Musical Festival, where attendees are encouraged to wear traditional attire for an evening of electrifying performances to take place at the +233 Jazz Club in Accra.
Creatives Connect Afrika is positioned not just as a festival, but as the inaugural continental policy and marketplace platform designed to unlock the economic potential of Africa’s creative industries.
The Council of Elders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has directed all party members and groups engaged in early presidential campaign activities to stop immediately.
The directive followed a meeting between the Council and President John Dramani Mahama on May 29, 2026, during which they discussed party unity, discipline and support for the government’s Resetting Agenda.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the Council expressed concern over reports of premature presidential campaigns and related political activities by some individuals and groups within the party.
It noted that the NDC is currently focused on delivering on the mandate given to it by Ghanaians and urged members to channel their energy, resources and commitment towards supporting the government’s efforts to improve the lives of citizens.
The Council stressed that activities that could create division, distraction or unnecessary competition within the party should be avoided at this stage.
It further reminded members of Article 42 of the party’s constitution, which states that the date and venue for the election of a presidential candidate must be determined by the National Executive Committee (NEC).
According to the Council, no individual, group or interest bloc has the authority to engage in or promote any form of presidential campaign until the NEC officially announces the timetable and guidelines for presidential primaries.
It therefore directed all persons involved in such activities to cease immediately.
The directive covers campaigning, mobilisation, endorsements, publicity and any related activities aimed at promoting the presidential ambitions of prospective candidates.
The Council called on party members to remain united and focus on supporting the government’s transformational agenda and fulfilling the expectations of the Ghanaian people.
It added that the time for internal contests would come, but for now, the party’s collective responsibility is to serve the nation and ensure the successful implementation of the mandate entrusted to it.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Presidential staffer, Dr Sammy Ayeh has criticised the New Patriotic Party (NPP), accusing it of focusing on issues that do not address the needs of Ghanaians.
Commenting on the controversy surrounding a private family funeral of Gold board CEO, Sammy Gyamfi’s father on facebook , Dr Ayeh described attempts to politicise the event as unnecessary and a distraction from matters of national importance.
He argued that at a time when Ghana is focused on economic recovery, job creation, healthcare, education and attracting investment, the opposition should be concentrating on government policies and offering alternatives rather than discussing a private family ceremony.
According to him, the funeral was organised by a private family with relatives capable of managing their own affairs, making the political attention surrounding it unwarranted.
Dr Ayeh made the remarks while referring to President John Dramani Mahama’s recent engagement with members of the Ghanaian diaspora in London during his official working visit to the United Kingdom.
He noted that during the meeting, the President discussed Ghana’s development agenda, investment opportunities and the role of Ghanaians abroad in supporting national growth.
He indicated that Mr Mahama also highlighted measures being implemented by his administration in areas such as healthcare, education, infrastructure and social protection to improve the lives of citizens.
Dr Ayeh maintained that a responsible opposition party should examine such policies, question them where necessary and provide alternative solutions.
Instead, he contended that the NPP appeared more interested in what he described as “funeral politics” than issues affecting the daily lives of Ghanaians.
While acknowledging that questioning government actions is an important part of democracy, he stressed that such scrutiny must be constructive and aimed at advancing the public interest.
He further argued that opposition should be measured by the quality of ideas and alternatives presented rather than the volume of criticism.
Dr Ayeh expressed concern that the NPP had, in his view, replaced meaningful policy engagement with sensationalism and political theatrics.
He urged the party to focus on examining government programmes, proposing credible alternatives and contributing positively to national debate.
According to him, Ghanaians deserve an opposition that addresses pressing national issues and helps strengthen democratic governance.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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