By Sarah
Ankamah-Yeboah, GNA
Techiman (B/A), Oct. 23, GNA – The National
Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC) has brought to light the importance of
culture and arts as essential sources of employment and wealth creation,
particularly for the youth.
Madam Janet Edna Nyame, the Executive Director
of the National Commission on Culture (NCC) said in Techiman in the Brong-Ahafo
Region that when she was addressing a grand durbar to mark the celebration of
the Regional Festival of Arts and Culture (REFAC).
On the theme “Empowering the Youth through
Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts for Employment and Wealth Creation”, the
programme was attended by people of diverse backgrounds and they included;
traditional rulers, students, public and private sector employees and the
general public.
Commenting on the theme, she explained that
the culture and tourism industry was the fourth most lucrative income earner in
the country, offering diverse jobs to the masses than most sectors.
She cited the region had over 400 estimated
number of professional and amateur cultural industry players, such as
musicians, painters, wood workers, dancers, actors, dressmakers, hairdressers
and clay workers.
Mad. Nyame stressed that the industry needed
promotion and marketing that would begin from within, implying that all the
industry players and Ghanaians in general must vigorously and aggressively be
involved in promoting the products of the tourism sector in various ways.
“It behoves on us the duty-bearers to create
the right environment for the industry. I believe that, if we, the key
stakeholders and custodians of our cultural heritage resolve to put in place
the right strategies and initiatives that could add value to our cultural
goods, we could create the needed market, provide factories and practically
create job opportunities for the masses of our unemployed youth”, she
emphasised.
Mr John Kofi Donyina, the Municipal Chief
Executive for Techiman South earlier in a welcoming address reiterated the
importance of the creation of new regions by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo
Addo’s government, stressing that the decision was without any political
expediency but to accelerate the holistic socio-economic development of the
country.
Mr Donyina therefore urged the electorate,
particularly those in the designated areas of the regions’ creation to turn up
to vote “yes” during the referendum to make it a reality.
GNA