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Ghana to host Africa Festival Of Arts, Culture And Creatives in December
Ghana will host the Africa Festival of Arts, Culture and Creatives (AFESTAC) 2026 alongside Industrial Skills Week Africa (ISWA) 2026 in Accra from December 9 to 12, 2026.
On the back of these programmes, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on corporate Ghana, the media and the general public to support the initiative through partnerships, sponsorships and active participation.
The events, supported by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), will bring together stakeholders to celebrate Africa’s rich cultural heritage, strengthen the creative economy, promote industrial skills development and create employment opportunities for young people.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Executive Committee member and Volta River Authority (VRA) Board Member, Wonder Victor Kutor, has described calls for the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as premature and unjustified.
He argued that there was no evidence to establish that the minister had committed any wrongdoing to warrant such demands.
Speaking on Joy News in Accra on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Mr Kutor questioned what had changed to justify the growing calls for the minister to step down.
He recalled that the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had earlier indicated that the opposition was not accusing Mr Ablakwa of any wrongdoing.
Mr Kutor, therefore, challenged those demanding the minister’s resignation to provide fresh evidence to support their position.
“The call for the Minister to resign is premature, it is untenable. There is no evidence. I mean, what has he done wrong?” he questioned.
He added that documents, including boarding passes, airline receipts and flight manifests relating to the minister’s return journey, had been provided.
Mr Kutor expressed concern that the calls for Mr Ablakwa’s resignation could discourage young politicians from speaking out against corruption and advocating transparency.
According to him, politicians should not be targeted or maligned for demanding accountability, warning that such treatment could create the impression that speaking against corruption could later become a liability when one is appointed to public office.
He maintained that calling for accountability and transparency should not be used as grounds to target public officials without evidence of wrongdoing.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts has received the IMANI Center for Policy and Education team at the Ministry.
In a post shared after the meeting, the Minister, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, said she found it novel to have the celebrated think tank come through to understand the Ministry’s work, what has been done so far and the way forward.
She called for increased investment in Ghana’s cultural heritage, creative industries and tourism infrastructure to drive economic growth, create jobs and improve livelihoods.
She highlighted the potential of Ghana’s heritage sites, Kente aka Kete, Fugu, Highlife Music and Dance, Gastronomy and Festivals to attract visitors and create business opportunities.
She also highlighted ongoing efforts to restore selected forts and castles, strengthen cultural preservation, protect intellectual property and promote Ghanaian creativity on the global stage.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Mr. Franklin Cudjoe thanked the Ministry for receiving them and throwing light on the scope of work done and the projections into the future of the sector.
The team from IMANI included Selorm Branttie, Kay Codjoe and Meme Princess Umul Hatiyya.
The engagement explored opportunities for policy research and collaboration to support evidence-based decision-making and sustainable development across the tourism, culture and creative sector.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
