Presidential Advisor on the 24-Hour Economy, Goosie Tanoh
The government has announced its intention to transform the National Cathedral project, which has been put on hold, into a National Cultural Convention Centre (NCCC), making it the focal point of Ghana’s growing cultural diplomacy and creative economy.
A policy document under the new 24-hour economy initiative for culture, creative arts, and tourism, called “SH0W24,” states that the NCCC will be set up in collaboration with the AfCFTA Secretariat and is anticipated to become Africa’s premier location for trade shows, international exhibitions, film festivals, and summits.
The administration claims the proposal will fill a vital infrastructure vacuum without going against national or religious values.
One of the most contentious public infrastructure initiatives in Ghana’s recent history is the National Cathedral project, which was first introduced in 2018 as a representation of religious faith and national togetherness. The project, which was supposed to be a nondenominational Christian worship center, was beset by delays, a lack of transparency, soaring expenses, and public outrage over the use of public monies in a secular republic.
Despite early promises that the building would be mostly financed by private donations, millions of cedis in state monies were disbursed without obvious accountability, prompting requests for the project to be stopped or thoroughly reviewed by opposition parties, civil society organizations, and even some clergy.
“At the national level, a bold flagship intervention is proposed: converting the National Cathedral site into the National Cultural Convention Centre (NCCC), in partnership with the AfCFTA Secretariat. This venue will serve as Africa’s premier cultural diplomacy and creative economy forum, hosting international exhibitions, film festivals, trade shows, and summits-filling a critical infrastructure gap without conflicting with national values or faith institutions,” a report by myjoyonline.com quotes the document as saying.
The NCCC project is a component of a larger strategy to revitalize the tourism, cultural, and creative arts industries as the cornerstones of economic change. It represents a major change in the usage of the contentious cathedral site, which has come under fire from the public due to delays, cost overruns, and its applicability.
The center will be the jewel in the crown of Ghana’s infrastructure for the creative economy under SH0W24.
Large-scale exhibitions and events are anticipated to take place there, solidifying Ghana’s position on the world cultural map.
KA
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