The United States has called on Ghana to strengthen Intellectual Property (IP) protections, production financing and investor-friendly policies to help transform the country’s creative industries into a larger driver of economic growth while encouraging greater U.S. investment in the sector.
Speaking at the close of the Creative Economy Summit in Accra, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Rolf Olson said government policy, early-stage investment and authentic African storytelling would determine whether Ghana captures more value from its growing cultural exports.
“To the government officials, you hold the pen on the policies, tax structures, IP protections and production financing that determine whether Ghana captures the full value of its own cultural exports and whether American companies feel comfortable investing in Ghana,” Olson said.
He added that “contract sanctity matters” and creators must be fairly compensated for their work.
Ghana seeks to expand the creative economy into a larger source of jobs, exports and foreign investment under initiatives including the Black Star Experience, which aims to position culture and tourism as pillars of economic growth.
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Olson said the United States views the creative sector as an economic industry rather than solely a cultural one, noting that it creates employment, attracts investment and supports entrepreneurship and innovation.
“Like any other sector, this sector creates jobs, builds competitive advantage, attracts investment and supports entrepreneurship and innovation,” he said.
The summit concluded two weeks of training and engagements organised by the U.S. Embassy in partnership with the American Film Showcase and African Creative TV, bringing Hollywood producers, television directors and media executives to Ghana to work with African filmmakers and producers.
Participants included television director Rachel Raimist, S.W.A.T. creator Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, Array Filmworks President Paul Garnes, media strategist Kwon Fung and Six and Line Productions founder Sidra Smith, who led directing labs and masterclasses for filmmakers from across the continent.
Olson described the programme as a deliberate investment by the United States in developing Africa’s creative industries through skills transfer and collaboration.
“This is L.A. talent coming to share insights and lessons from the American industry and to engage with storytellers,” he said. “It is a deliberate commitment of serious American talent and expertise to the development of the creative industry here.”
He urged Ghanaian creatives to preserve the authenticity of their stories instead of adapting them primarily for foreign audiences.
“Insist that your story be told in your own voice,” Olson said. “Its specificity is what gives it value, and do not let it be simplified for easier export.”
The envoy also encouraged investors to provide early-stage capital to creative businesses, arguing that financing the sector now could generate long-term returns while building the infrastructure needed for future growth.
“Capital deployed early into a market this durable builds the infrastructure that lets the next generation of creatives work at scale,” he said.
Olson said the summit marked the beginning of deeper collaboration between the U.S. and Ghana’s creative industries, describing the initiative as an investment in both the bilateral relationship and a sector with growing commercial potential.
He noted that Americans are already Ghana’s largest source of international visitors, making people-to-people ties an important foundation for expanding cooperation in the creative economy.
“We see this summit as an investment in a relationship, and in a sector that we expect to keep paying dividends for both of our countries for a long time to come,” Olson said.
