News
Black Star Experience is not same as Year of Return
Ghana’s tourism and creative economy continue to experience renewed growth as government strengthens efforts to position the country as Africa’s leading cultural and heritage destination.
While many still associate Ghana’s global tourism success
with the landmark Year of Return campaign of 2019, it is important to understand that the country has since moved into a new phase of sector growth under the Black Star Experience, a broader and forward-looking national programme being
advanced under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama.
Over the past year, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts and its agencies have intensified efforts to grow the sector positively, creating renewed momentum across tourism, arts, and the creative industries.
These efforts form part of the Mahama administration’s wider commitment to reposition tourism and
culture as key drivers of economic growth, job creation, and global engagement.
Under President Mahama’s leadership, tourism and the creative arts have regained prominence as strategic pillars for national development.
Government’s renewed focus has provided stronger coordination across agencies, boosted stakeholder
confidence, and created fresh opportunities for creatives, event promoters, tourism operators, and investors within the sector.
At the ministerial level, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, has been working to strengthen Ghana’s cultural ecosystem and tourism value chain through the various agencies under the ministry.
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Ghana’s primary tourism marketing agency, has also continued to record notable progress in destination promotion and stakeholder
engagement.
Under the leadership of Mrs. Maame Efua Sekyi-Aidoo Houadjeto, the
Authority has sustained campaigns and partnerships that keep Ghana visible in competitive tourism markets while supporting industry players to raise service and product standards.
Understanding the difference between Ghana’s flagship tourism initiatives is
therefore important. The Year of Return was a commemorative campaign marking 400 years since the first enslaved Africans were taken to the Americas.
It invited the African diaspora, particularly African Americans and Afro-Caribbeans, to reconnect with their ancestral homeland.
The initiative resonated globally, drawing record visitor arrivals and creating powerful emotional and economic connections.
The Black Star Experience, however, represents a more expansive and sustainable national agenda. Rather than being tied to a single commemorative year, it is
structured as a long-term programme designed to position Ghana as the Cultural Capital of Africa, offering year-round cultural, entertainment, heritage, and creative experiences.
While the Year of Return focused on historical reconnection, the Black Star
Experience looks ahead, promoting Ghana’s living culture, contemporary creative industries, festivals, music, film, cuisine, fashion, and lifestyle experiences to both global and continental audiences.
A key strength of the current approach under the Mahama administration is the emphasis on sustainability and inclusiveness.
The Black Star Experience aims to
ensure that tourism benefits extend beyond Accra to communities and heritage destinations nationwide, creating jobs and economic opportunities across regions.
In essence, the Year of Return reopened the door between Ghana and the global African diaspora.
The Black Star Experience now expands that journey, inviting the
world not only to return, but to continually experience Ghana’s culture, creativity, and hospitality.
As Ghana builds on the progress made over recent years, the renewed energy and direction under President John Dramani Mahama signal a promising chapter for tourism and the creative economy, one that seeks to transform Ghana from a moment of global attention into a permanent destination of cultural excellence, investment opportunity, and shared prosperity.
Edward Boafo Owusu
Programs Lead,
Black Star Experience Secretariat
Ahyiresu and Abofrem, two quiet communities in the Atwima Mponua District, have been shaken to the core by a chilling midnight drama that reads like a nightmare.
A pastor and a young mother stand accused of attempting to bury a five‑month‑old baby girl alive, a crime that has ignited outrage and disbelief across the township.
According to police, Apostle Richmond Akwasi Frimpong, 36, Head Pastor of the Anointed Grace Prayer Ministry at Kuffour Camp, conspired with his uncle Emmanuel Appiah, 53, and the child’s mother, 23‑year‑old Beatrice Agyapomaa, to dispose of the infant, Anaya Achiaa, under the cover of darkness.
A fourth suspect, Emmanuel Donkor, remains on the run.
The suspects were caught near a refuse dump around 10 pm on April 9, 2026, after a vigilant resident, Akwasi Twezor, noticed their suspicious movements.
When confronted, they claimed the child was already dead and had palace approval for burial. But Twezor’s instincts proved right—the baby was still alive, gasping faintly for breath.
Chief Linguist, Nana Yaw Badu, later confirmed that Frimpong had misled him earlier in the evening, securing permission for burial by falsely declaring the child dead.
The infant was rushed to the Abofrem Clinic, where she is now responding well to treatment. Police described her as “very beautiful.”
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evelyn Yitamkey, Commander of DOVVSU in Bibiani, confirmed that the suspects have been provisionally charged.
Frimpong faces attempted murder and conspiracy charges, while Agyapomaa and Appiah are charged with conspiracy and abetment.
They were remanded by the Bibiani Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Frank Asiedu Nimako, to assist investigations.
The docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice, ASP Yitamkey indicated.
The attempted crime has provoked fury among residents, many suspecting ritual motives aimed at bolstering the pastor’s influence.
Crowds attempted to attack the suspects outside court, but police intervention prevented mob justice.
The Assembly Member for Ahyiresu, Yusuf Suleiman, has assured residents that justice will be pursued swiftly.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
The forecourt of the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB) in Accra came alive on Friday with colour, creativity and innovation, as Level 300 students transformed the space into a lively exhibition of ideas.
Under the theme “Building meaningful brands beyond the logo,” the students invited patrons into a world where ordinary products were reimagined through storytelling, design and purpose.
From scented candles to innovative food concepts, each stand told a unique story, one that went beyond aesthetics to capture identity, value and human connection.
For many of the students, the event was more than just an academic exercise; it was a moment to dream out loud.
Guided by their lecturer, Peter Wonders, they explored what it truly means to build a brand in today’s competitive world where trust, consistency and experience matter just as much as logos and slogans.
Chairman of the occasion, Nana Kum Gyata VI, in his remarks said a brand is what people say about you when you are not present.
At the end of the presentations, awards were presented to deserving groups with Vida Nyaneba emerging as the overall best branding student.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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