Veteran Ghanaian musician Okyeame Kwame has called on universities and government institutions to introduce scholarships and professional development opportunities for musicians to strengthen the country's creative industry and promote Ghanaian culture internationally.
He believes recognising and supporting artistes who demonstrate excellence in their craft could encourage more young musicians to pursue formal training while incorporating indigenous Ghanaian elements into their work.
The musician made the proposals on November 11, 2026, during the African Humanities Association (AHA) 2026 Biennial Conference at the WAGMC Auditorium of the University of Ghana.
The conference was held under the theme, "Engaging Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts Scholarship in Africa: Milestones and Aspirations."
Using the University of Ghana's School of Performing Arts as an example, Okyeame Kwame proposed that the institution offer the Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) Artiste of the Year a six-month academic programme leading to a diploma, irrespective of the recipient's previous educational qualifications.
He argued that such an initiative could attract young musicians interested in gaining deeper knowledge of the artistic and academic principles behind their craft.
"I want to ask us here: if the School of Performing Arts decided to identify the Artiste of the Year based on the VGMA Artiste of the Year award, and called on the winner to come to the School of Performing Arts to study for six months and obtain a diploma, regardless of whether they have a high school certificate or not, do we know the number of young pop artistes who would rush here to benefit from the knowledge available?" he asked.
"Rules are made to be broken, especially when we are talking about art."
Calls for international exposure
Beyond academic opportunities, the musician urged Ghana's diplomatic missions to play a greater role in promoting local musicians and the country's cultural identity abroad.
He proposed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs use Ghana's annual Independence Day celebrations at its diplomatic missions as platforms to showcase selected musicians whose work incorporates traditional Ghanaian elements.
Under the proposal, each mission would invite an artiste, alongside their dancers and management team, to perform during the March 6 celebrations and promote Ghanaian music and culture.
Okyeame Kwame believes the initiative could create international exposure for more than 100 Ghanaian musicians annually while strengthening the country's cultural presence across the world.
He questioned why Ghana had not fully explored the opportunities presented by its diplomatic network to promote local creative talent.
Government urged to support culturally inspired music
The musician also called on the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts to introduce scholarships and sponsorship packages for artistes who deliberately incorporate Ghanaian traditions into their music.
He said financial and institutional support could encourage more musicians to explore indigenous languages, sounds, instruments and cultural expressions in their productions.
Okyeame Kwame warned that Ghana risked overlooking its cultural resources if musicians were not encouraged to draw inspiration from their immediate surroundings.
"If the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Arts gave scholarships and sponsorship to said artistes, would more artistes not try to be a bit more traditional and Ghanaian?" he asked.
He further argued that Ghanaian musicians should be encouraged to develop globally appealing music rooted in the country's cultural identity rather than relying on foreign influences before achieving international recognition.
His proposals highlight the potential role of universities, government institutions and diplomatic missions in developing local creative talent, strengthening the music industry and expanding the international reach of Ghanaian culture.
