Mr Rolf Olson, Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Ghana, has called for increased investment and stronger policy support to unlock the full potential of Ghana’s creative economy.
He said while Africa had demonstrated its creative talent on the global stage, greater efforts were needed to build sustainable structures, strengthen intellectual property protection and attract investment to enable creatives to scale up their businesses and compete internationally.
Mr Olson made the call at the closing of the Creative Economy Summit Ghana 2026 in Accra on Wednesday.
He said the global creative industry had evolved significantly over the years, citing the rise of Bollywood and Nollywood as examples of how strong storytelling had transformed once little-known film industries into globally recognised brands.
He noted that the growth of streaming platforms had expanded opportunities for audiences to consume productions from different countries, proving that compelling stories could originate from any part of the world.
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Mr Olson said the US Embassy had, over the past two weeks, facilitated directing laboratories and masterclasses led by accomplished American film and media professionals, including Rochelle Ramis, Aaron Rashad Thomas and Paul Garns.
He said the initiative culminated in the summit, which brought together filmmakers, investors and government officials to explore practical ways of leveraging the creative economy for economic growth.
Describing the creative sector as a major driver of economic development, Mr Olson said it generated employment, attracted investment and promoted entrepreneurship and innovation.
He urged Ghanaian creatives to preserve the authenticity of their stories, saying their unique cultural perspectives were valuable assets in the global marketplace.
Mr Olson also encouraged investors to provide early-stage financing to support the industry’s growth, saying such investments would help build the infrastructure needed to sustain future generations of creatives while generating economic returns.
He further urged government to strengthen policies on taxation, production financing, contract enforcement and intellectual property protection to ensure Ghana captured greater value from its cultural exports and remained attractive to international investors.
Mr Kofi Okyere Darko, Director of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President, said discussions on the creative economy had shifted from recognising talent to addressing investment, financing, technology, exports, intellectual property and job creation.
He said the sector required collaboration among governments, businesses, investors, technology institutions and creatives to transform creativity into a structured economic asset.
Ms Dorina Amina Abubakar, Producer and Curator of the summit, said the event was designed to connect leading African creatives with renowned United States industry experts to identify practical solutions to challenges facing the sector.
She said beyond showcasing talent, the summit sought to build long-term partnerships, strengthen business models, improve infrastructure and create opportunities for African creatives to produce globally competitive content while nurturing the next generation of storytellers.
