Features
COVID-19 ‘locks down’ Accra New Town printing business
The name “Accra New Town” may suggest the area is a new settlement in the national capital but it is not.
The suburb dates back to many decades with an interesting history that deserves its separate spotlight.
If there is anything new about Accra New Town, it is definitely not the printing press business.
Like Abossey Okai is synonymous with vehicle spare parts, the vicinity is the hub of almost all printing needs from books, posters, invitation cards, t-shirts, branded souvenirs, banners, calendars and more.
Sight, smell and sounds
A cursory look is enough to confirm why it is the hub of printing; there are countless outlets of all magnitudes and ancillary businesses crowded along major streets there.
The sight and sound of printing machines, computer keyboards, cutting machines alongside the smell of ink and fresh paper, topped up with a display of beautifully designed banners and signages are characteristic of this area especially “High street”.
Things fall part
But in the last three months, COVID-19 pandemic has figuratively disconnected the power to the printing hub resulting in the temporal turning off of many printing machines.
The business is bearing the brunt of restrictions on social gatherings like weddings, funerals, churches, schools, workshops and other events, which has drastically declined the printing of invitation, programmes, flyers, exercise books, and souvenirs.
COVID-19 Restrictions
President Nana Addo Dankwa in March imposed various restrictions on social gatherings such as church, political party activities, as part of measures to curb the COVID-17 with only 25 expected to attend private funerals.
After weeks of economic meltdown, the restrictions were eased on May 31 with church, weddings, conferences, funeral expected to have not more than 100 people and adherence to social distance protocols.
As of June 12, the country had recorded 11,118 confirmed cases out of which 3,979 people had recovered with 48 succumbing to the virus.
Even though the restrictions have been eased some owners of printing houses in the town has it has not eased the pain suffered by the economic blow dealt the sector by the pandemic.
Impact
Many printing outlets at New Town have closed down. Those still open have either laid-off their staff or frozen their engagement until further notice. Clients do not walk in in their numbers. The industry is on ice.
Inkit Ghana Limited is one of the biggest signage and digital printing company in Accra New Town and Ken Sarfo, a staff, tells the Ghanaian Times that the pandemic has gravely affected business.
Before the pandemic, he said, the company could print about 10,000 different items within a day including 500 pieces of funeral booklets but now the company handles just about 100 in some days.
“There is virtually no business. Our business comes if there are social gatherings. So definitely the restrictions are having a great impact on the business” he said.
According to Mr Sarfo, the church was one of their biggest clients but due to the low key Easter celebration, they lost out on the printing of posters, banners and other advertising materials.
“By this time in an election year, we would have been printing a lot of party paraphernalia but there are no political activities. Jobs do not come”, he said adding that most clients who come in prefer softcopies of invitation cards and posters so they distribute on social media.
Electricity reliefs and MSME support
The Government has absorbed 50 per cent of the electricity bill for residential and commercial consumers, for three months, which began in April, as part of reliefs to support industry, enterprises and the service sector who have been hard hit by the impact of the restrictions to curb the pandemic.
Additionally, a GH₵1 billion Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) business support programme has been instituted to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with soft loans to survive the impact of the pandemic on their operations.
But according to Ebenezer Sarpong, a caretaker of an a printing press which he asked not to be named, all these measures were good but for the printing industry it would not soothe their pain because “ our business thrives on events, so if there are no events, we do not exist”.
He would not say how much his company has lost but indicated that the printing industry in general has lost millions of cedis.
Contribution to awareness creation
Kwame Boahen, a freelance designer called on the government to collaborate with graphic designers so they produce awareness creation materials adding that” it is through this collaboration that we could get something small to heal our wounds.”
Glimmer of hope
The sad tale of the industry’s woes was the same in other outlets the Ghanaian Times visited.
But one thing that ended most of the narrations of the interviewees was a prayer that the pandemic would be over before the last quarter of the year .
This is because they are still hoping to make money from intense political campaigns, weddings and funerals that usually define that time of the year.
“We hope and pray that God heals our land so life returns to normal”, Mr Sarfo of Inkit said.
Until this prayer is answered and all restrictions lifted, it appears the industry would remain locked down by COVID-19.
Source: Ghanaian Times
Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society. This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Apostolic Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
