Entertainment
Rhymesonny is guest judge for World Bank Youth Act On Education competition
• Rhymesonny
Ghana’s finest Poet and Spoken Word Artiste, Rhymesonny has been named the guest judge of the World Bank Youth Act On Education spoken word competition.
The award-winning poet together with other judges from World Bank Africa team, influencers and advisory board will have the task of screening and adjudging five prize winners with the parameters that have been set for the competition.
The competition forms part of the World Bank regional education strategy for Western and Central Africa and it outlines priority areas, guiding principles, and policy options to support countries in increasing access to education and improving the quality of learning over the next couple of years.
The strategy focuses on the common challenges within a highly diverse region and covers all the sub-sectors of education, including formal and informal, technical, and vocational education, as well as higher education.
The competition which was launched a month ago closed submissions on July 20, 2022. It was highly welcomed by a lot of youth groups across the continent and participants are expected to be creative, inspiring, artistic in their 1-minute video of themselves reciting an original poem for the chance to win prizes and also get featured on World Bank social media pages.
Ruti Ejangue, World Bank’s Youth Engagement Lead for Western and Central Africa on the inclusion of Rhymesonny noted, “as a poet of note, we think your addition, not only in the art of spoken word, your interest in development and the topic of education in the region, will be profound in the judging process.”
Rhymesonny is an acclaimed SpokenWord artist and an advocate for the use of poetry as a tool for communication, education and information dissemination and has performed widely across the globe.
Renowned Ghanaian music heavyweight, Empress Gifty, has dedicated her seven awards won in 2025 to President John Dramani Mahama.
The musician and her management, led by Edem Mensah-Tsotorme, together with her husband, Mr Hopeson Adorye, called on the President at the Jubilee House on Thursday, October 9, 2025.
Empress Gifty, in her remarks, said the visit was to officially congratulate the President, who has been a father figure for her for many years, and also update him on successes chalked in her career.
She thanked the President for his guidance over the years and promised to even do better in the years ahead, as she prepares to release her new song for the year.
The gospel musician also appealed to President Mahama to consider building a large seating auditorium for the creative arts industry.
She appealed to the President for a 10,000 to 30,000 large seating auditorium to improve the fortunes of the creative sector when it comes to events in the country.
This, she said, would go a long way to help the sector flourish and position the country for other international events in the future.
Additionally, she urged the President to ensure the creative sector gets substantial allocation in the next budget.
The President, on his part, thanked Empress Gifty, who he calls his daughter, and the team for the visit, expressing how proud he was of her growth.
Again, he charged her to continuously work even harder for more laurels.
President Mahama pledged his commitment to the growth of the creative arts industry, adding that with regard to a large seating auditorium for the space, he has received some designs and suggestions for a convention centre which are under consideration.
According to him, once suggestions were approved and issues of funding are addressed, this would serve a multipurpose function and host many activities throughout the year.
The President further pledged his unflinching support for the creative arts sector and assured of budgetary support in the years ahead.
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The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), has launched the 2025 edition of December in GH at a colourful ceremony held at the Banquet Hall of Jubilee House in Accra.
It marked the official start of Ghana’s festive end-of-year calendar, a celebration that has grown into one of Africa’s biggest showcases of culture, music, and heritage.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GTA, Maame Efua Houadjeto, highlighted the growing impact of the December in GH initiative in positioning Ghana as Africa’s preferred holiday destination.
She noted that the 2025 edition would build on past successes by strengthening collaboration among the creative, hospitality, and events sectors to deliver world-class visitor experiences.
The Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, reaffirmed government’s commitment to develop the creative economy as a key pillar of national growth.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr Julius Debrah praised the initiative’s contribution to national branding and its positive impact on small and medium enterprises within the tourism value chain.
Mr Rex Omar, Head of the Black Star Experience Secretariat, underscored the creative industry’s central role in sustaining Ghana’s tourism revival.
The 2025 edition will feature a diverse line-up of events nationwide, including concerts, cultural festivals, food fairs, fashion shows, and diaspora reunions, all curated under the Black Star Experience platform.
Since its introduction in 2019, December in GH has become a major part of Ghana’s tourism strategy, attracting thousands of visitors annually and boosting the country’s image as a hub of creativity and unity.
The event brought together government officials, diplomats, creative industry stakeholders, and private sector representatives.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
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