Renowned Ghanaian music producer and executive, Richie Mensah, has taken a swipe at the country’s creative industry, accusing it of not doing enough to earn meaningful government support.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM, Richie argued that the sector must first demonstrate its economic value before expecting significant investment from the state.
He emphasized that creatives should stop relying on government intervention or industry associations and instead focus on individual efforts that showcase tangible results and impact.
According to him, only when the industry proves its worth will it attract the support it seeks.
“I say all the time that leave government alone, leave associations alone. Leave everybody alone and do what you can do. He who embarks on a worthy cause deserves a push,” he said.
Richie explained that while he has faced many challenges in his career, he has also received support, but only after showing that he was worth investing in.
“As much as I have had a lot of challenges, I have also had a lot of support. But every support I have received in my life has been earned. I wasn’t given the support in a vacuum. I was given the support because I proved that if you support me, it’s worth your time and money,” he explained.
According to him, the main reason the government continues to overlook the creative arts is because the industry has not demonstrated that it can bring in economic returns.
“The reason government won’t support creative arts is because it’s not worth their time. Let’s be very honest. You have artistes and media people standing there talking about ‘do this for me, do this for us, we deserve this, we are so entitled’, stop talking,” he said.
