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Award schemes, NOTICEBOARDon merit or for sale?
Across Ghana today, awards schemes have become almost as common as billboards. From business and entertainment to leadership and social impact, dozens of organisations now host glamorous ceremonies promising to honour ‘excellence.’
But behind the glitz, red carpets, and gold-plated plaques, a troubling reality is emerging: for many nominees, recognition is no longer earned; it is purchased.
Paid path to excellence
In interviews across Tamale and Accra, several nominees revealed a pattern that has become all too familiar. They receive a congratulatory call announcing their nomination, often framed as a recognition of hard work and impact.
Days later, the real message follows: they must pay to secure a seat, table, or plaque.
Event organisers often invite high-profile dignitaries’ like regional ministers, public officials, celebrities to appear on their flyers and at their events, creating a façade of legitimacy that convinces nominees and the public alike.
Yet, beneath the polished speeches lies a difficult question: How relevant or credible are these awards?
A young creative professional in Tamale, who asked not to be named, shared her experience.
“They congratulated me for my exceptional work,” she recounted. “But later, they said I had to pay GH¢2,000 for a table and for the plaque. When I said I couldn’t afford it, they told me maybe next year. That’s when I realised it was never about merit.”
The rise of ‘Vote-to-Win’ economy
Beyond direct payments, another trend is sweeping through Ghana’s awards landscape: vote-based competitions where winners are determined not by impact or quality, but by how many votes they can garner often through paid SMS on mobile money platforms.
This has turned recognition into a popularity contest.
“I had to beg people every day,” said a young social entrepreneur. “Friends, strangers, WhatsApp groups everywhere. I thought I was being honoured for my work, but I was really just competing for airtime and mobile money.”
High cost of chasing validation
For some, the pursuit of recognition has come with a heavy financial burden. One woman revealed she spent more than GH¢23,000 on various awards over three years.
“Each organiser said the award would boost my credibility,” she said. “I paid for seats, plaques, adverts everything. I have the awards, but sometimes I wonder if any of them were truly earned,” she added.
While a few beneficiaries argue that such awards help with publicity or branding, many more believe the practice cheapens the meaning of excellence.
Booming industry built on prestige
Award events often staged in luxury hotels with celebrity hosts and elaborate decorations have become lucrative business ventures. They earn revenue through seat sales, sponsorship deals, photography packages, nomination fees, and promotional slots.
A former event planner admitted that financial targets sometimes influence who gets honoured.
“We had quotas,” he said. “If someone expresses interest, we followed up with payment details. Those who couldn’t pay didn’t make the final list,” he revealed.
Growing calls for regulation
Veteran journalist, Frederick Osei Agyemang, described the current situation plainly: “Some of these awards are nothing short of scams. They damage public trust. Awards should reward genuine achievement, not financial contributions.”
He emphasised that while organisers have operational costs, those expenses must not determine who receives recognition.
As the boundary between genuine honour, commercial interest becomes increasingly blurred, many Ghanaians are beginning to question the credibility of these award events.
One young entrepreneur from Tamale, Sidney Adjetey, recalled being informed that he had won an award but to attend the ceremony, he needed to pay for two or three tables ranging between GH¢5,000 and GH¢10,000.
“I kept wondering whether I was truly qualified,” he said. “Because if I am, why must I pay for a seat?”
He added that he has since stopped attending award ceremonies altogether.
“I’d rather invest in my work than spend money on a trophy.”
Future
With public skepticism rising, the pressure for accountability and ethical standards in the award industry is intensifying. Many believe that unless transparency improves, these schemes risk eroding the very essence of honour.
Until reforms take root, one question hangs heavily in the air:
When did honour stop being earned and start being bought?
By Geoffrey Buta, Tamale
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