FILM producer Socrate Safo has called for an end to what he describes as “petty partisan politics” in Ghana’s creative industry.
He says every time government changes hands, good initiatives for the sector get abandoned simply because they were started by the "other side".
His comments come as debate heats up around the Black Star Experience, after its Coordinator, Rex Omar, argued that Year
of Return and Beyond the Return introduced under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) were just one-off events, while the Black Star Experience is built to run all year.
In an interview with Graphic Showbiz on Tuesday, September 22, Socrate said Ghana’s creative industry needed continuity and not repeated dismantling of initiatives whenever there was a change of government.
“Ghana’s creative industry cannot thrive if every change of government becomes an excuse to abandon existing initiatives, dismantle established structures and discredit the achievements of political predecessors,” he said.
According to Socrate, both Year of Return and Beyond the Return had helped raise Ghana’s profile globally and deepened engagement with the African diaspora.
He said although the previous initiatives might have had shortcomings, the appropriate approach was to assess them, address their weaknesses and build on what worked.
“Beyond the Return was a significant initiative that elevated Ghana’s international profile, strengthened engagement with the African diaspora and generated global interest in the country. Like every public programme, it may have had its shortcomings, but its achievements deserved assessment and improvement, not political dismissal,” he added.
His comments follow Rex Omar’s recent participation in a Diaspora Town Hall Meeting where he spoke about Ghana’s move towards a Right to Return for people of African descent. ( Read Do Ghana takes tourism on road to Ghana@70)
He also distinguished the initiative from the Year of Return, saying: “Year of Return was an event. After Year of Return, we are thinking of something and it is the Right to Return.”
The comments have reignited discussion about the relationship between the various diaspora-focused initiatives Ghana has undertaken in recent years.
Rex has previously defended the Black Star Experience against claims that it is simply a rebranding of the Year of Return. In a 2025 interview, he described the Year of Return as a one-off event and the Black Star Experience as a “365-day way of life” aimed at promoting Ghanaian identity, culture and products.
The Black Star Experience was officially launched in May 2025 as the government’s flagship culture, arts and tourism brand, with a mandate to make Ghana a preferred tourism destination.
Its planned activities span entertainment, the arts and education, including music, film, culinary arts, fashion, heritage and diaspora engagement.
However, Socrate believes the introduction of a new programme should not mean abandoning the gains made under previous initiatives.
He questioned the wisdom of dismantling programmes because of the political administration under which they were introduced, arguing that national achievements should be evaluated on their impact rather than their political origin.
“A national achievement does not lose its value simply because the government that initiated it has left office. Our filmmakers, musicians, actors, event organisers and other practitioners need sustainable policies, investment, jobs and functioning institutions, not political score-settling,” he said.
He further urged the government to demonstrate the tangible results of the Black Star Experience while being open to preserving and improving initiatives that have already delivered value.
“The creative industry deserves leadership, continuity, accountability and a shared commitment to national development, not petty partisan politics,” he said.
