Culture
Africa’s Creative Economy Needs Diaspora Capital and Expertise, Ghanaian Producer Says
The CEO of Joegad Films, Paul Joegad, is amplifying a powerful call for Africans in the diaspora to invest their capital, skills and global networks into Africa’s burgeoning creative economy.
Joegad believes the Diaspora is the answer to reshaping film, television and cultural content across the continent.
Speaking at a virtual engagement organised with the African Chamber of Content Producers, Joegad emphasised that Africa’s creative sectors hold vast untapped potential, particularly in film and media, but require more structured investment and technical expertise to compete on the world stage.
“Diasporan Africans are uniquely positioned to bridge this gap, bringing skills, networks and exposure gained abroad back home,” Joegad said, outlining the need for a stronger ecosystem that fosters job creation, improves production quality and supports creative independence.
The US‑based Ghanaian film producer announced plans to return to Ghana and Nigeria to spearhead a new project titled Kismet, positioning it as an example of how diaspora leadership can fuel pan‑African storytelling and capacity building.

Diaspora: From Remittances to Real Investment
Creative industry experts say Joegad’s appeal reflects a broader shift in thinking: Africa’s cultural and creative sectors should be viewed not as charitable causes but as viable economic engines. With African creative output contributing tens of billions of dollars annually to the continent’s GDP and attracting global audiences, the potential for growth is substantial when backed by strategic capital and professional expertise.
This aligns with wider pan‑African efforts to position culture and creativity at the heart of economic development. Initiatives like Creatives Connect Afrika in Accra have already championed a unified approach to unlocking Africa’s tourism and creative potential, blending arts, heritage and commerce.
Global Context and Cultural Diplomacy
Joegad’s call also touches on a deeper cultural moment: as African music, film, digital content and fashion continue to shape global trends, creatives and investors worldwide are watching closely. Ghana, with its vibrant entertainment scene and growing international collaborations, stands as a key hub in this transformation.
For diaspora Africans — many of whom maintain personal and professional ties to the continent — there is now an opportunity to be active participants in this narrative. By marrying resources and expertise with local talent and markets, experts say Africa’s creative economy can compete not only within the continent but on the world stage.
According to Joegad, the drive toward creative self‑sufficiency is more than economic; it’s about owning Africa’s stories and elevating them authentically to global platforms.
Arts and GH Heritage
Where Ghana’s Artistic Past Meets Its Next Generation
Every memorable art gallery begins with someone who believes a painting deserves more than a wall—it deserves an audience.
In Accra, that belief has shaped Berj Art Gallery into one of Ghana’s enduring champions of West African art.
Founded in 1996 by collector Joyce Quarshie, Berj emerged at a time when many Ghanaian artists were still searching for spaces that could connect their work with wider audiences.
More than three decades later, Quarshie’s commitment has grown into a gallery that celebrates both established masters and emerging voices under one roof.

A Living Story of West African Art
Walking through Berj feels less like entering a showroom and more like stepping into a conversation across generations.
Bold paintings share space with finely carved wooden sculptures, bronze works catch the light from different angles, and photographs add contemporary perspectives to centuries-old artistic traditions.
The gallery’s strength lies in that balance. Acclaimed painters stand alongside rising talents, creating a rare opportunity for visitors to see Ghana’s artistic evolution unfolding in real time.
It is a reminder that culture is not frozen in history; it continues to grow with every new brushstroke and every fresh creative voice.
More Than a Gallery
For international visitors exploring Accra, Berj offers something deeper than a sightseeing stop. It opens a window into Ghana’s creative identity, where craftsmanship, storytelling and heritage intersect.
As the gallery continues hosting exhibitions that bring together local and international artistic influences, it reinforces a simple but powerful truth: preserving culture is not only about protecting the past.
It is about creating spaces where the next generation of artists can imagine—and exhibit—the future.
Reels & Social Media Highlights
Medikal in Church and ‘Cheater’ Memes
Ghana’s social media spaces were ablaze on Tuesday, September 7, 2026, as a potent mix of celebrity worship, relationship debates, and viral security concerns captured the nation’s attention.
The digital streets of Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) were anything but quiet, showcasing the country’s unique blend of humour, outrage, and cultural commentary.
@prophetelbernardsfanpage Prophet Bernard Elbernard Nelson-Eshun weeks ago invited Medikal and he showed up at Spiritlife Revival Ministries #prophetbernardelbernard #bernardelbernard #viral #fyp #SpiritlifeRevivalMinistries ♬ original sound – ProphetElbernards_fanpage
One of the most surprising viral moments featured Ghanaian rapper Medikal, whose surprise appearance at Prophet ElBernard’s Spiritlife Revival Ministries sparked widespread discussion.
Dressed sharply and actively participating in worship, the rapper’s presence challenged perceptions about the intersection of secular celebrity and faith, quickly becoming a top-trending conversation.
Meanwhile, a major debate erupted over the Joy Prime podcast ‘Talk Your Shhh‘ after a panellist advised women to pursue married men they considered “good”.
The comments, perceived as promoting infidelity, drew sharp backlash. Celebrities like Efia Odo and Moliy condemned the advice, fueling a fiery debate about morality and media influence.
Adding a lighter, cross-border twist, a new Ghanaian marriage registry app named Marrify went viral—but for an unexpected reason.
The app’s promotional image featured South African actor S’dumo Mtshali, who has become a pan-African meme for infidelity.
Ghanaians and South Africans flooded the timeline with jokes, dubbing him the “Face of Cheaters” as the app allowed users to check marital status.
Concerns over security also trended after a disturbing CCTV clip of a daylight armed robbery circulated widely, sparking outrage and fear.
TRENDING 🇬🇭🚨:
— WithAlvin 🇬🇭 (@withAlvin__) September 7, 2026
CCTV Footage Shows How Robbers Entered a Home, Shot, and Made Off With Valuables
These robbers are getting bolder by the day! I trust the Ghana Police pic.twitter.com/35ZZXfTOpS
The nation’s social mood oscillated between humour and serious debate, reflecting a society deeply engaged with faith, celebrity culture, and pressing social issues.
Arts and GH Heritage
The Stories We Live With: Inside Nubuke Foundation’s Weight of the Ordinary
A family photograph resting on a shelf may look like decoration. A half-finished piece of woven cloth may seem incomplete. A living room may simply be a place to sit.
At Nubuke Foundation in Accra, however, these familiar things are being asked to tell deeper stories.
Weight of the Ordinary, a group exhibition featuring Josiah Tsibu Manu, Priscilla Agbeti, Blanche Boni-Mississo, King David Osabutey (Kakalicka) and Sena Burgundy Appau, turns its attention to the overlooked details of daily life—and finds history hiding there.
Manu’s domestic interiors are particularly evocative. Furniture, photographs and household details become unofficial archives, recalling how Ghanaian homes often carry memories that never enter formal histories.
In Agbeti’s unfinished woven works, meanwhile, labour refuses to disappear behind polished craftsmanship.
The incomplete becomes deliberate, leaving viewers to consider the economic and social histories carried by textiles.

Elsewhere, Boni-Mississo examines how spaces determine who can move freely and who is kept at the margins. Kakalicka draws on Akan cosmology through his Ɔhɔhoɔ, or stranger, connecting questions of displacement and belonging with indigenous ideas.
Appau’s monumental blue figures turn inward, contemplating the uncertainty and possibility of becoming.
Together, the artists suggest that the everyday is not neutral. It is where memory is stored, identities are formed and social boundaries are experienced.
For audiences in Ghana and abroad, the exhibition offers an invitation to look again at what familiarity can conceal. Sometimes, the objects closest to us have the most to say.
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