2022

Sport in Ghana has grown rapidly since the Colonial era when there was little consideration for an organized schedule of activity other than the daily drill known as physical training (PT). After gaining independence from British Colonial Rule in 1957, the Gold Coast began a course of rapid development with a focus on seeking national identity and receiving recognition on a global scale in all fields of endeavour within the broader context of an “African identity” (Baba 2000). Ghanaians (at the time, residents of the Gold Coast) had fully embraced organized sport by the turn of the 20th century. This prompted the establishing of the first sports organization, the Gold Coast Football Association (GCFA, now known as the Ghana Football Association), in 1920. Following this, the Gold Coast Amateur Athletics Association (now known as the Ghana Athletic Association) and Gold Coast Olympic Committee (now known as the Ghana Olympic Committee) were established in 1944 and 1951, respectively. Ghana, then known as the Gold Coast, took part in its first Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland, in 1952, along with British Togoland, which included the present-day nations of Togo and Ghana’s Volta area. Ghana’s speedy sporting development over the years made her an example for other colonies looking to construct an African sports image. Schools and colleges in Ghana had implemented comprehensive interscholastic programs with excellent planning under a law requiring all students to participate in intramural sports.  Most schools and colleges had physical education departments set up with mass gymnastics and competitive sports (such as soccer, track and field, boxing, table tennis, and cricket) that were part of the Empire Day events. Teachers and former service members taught and oversaw these sports activities. Looking back and counting our achievements since independence until now, our country Ghana has become the first nation on the African continent to earn an association football medal after its athletes won a total of four Olympic medals in its thirteen Summer Games participation, including three in boxing and a bronze (BBC News., 2011).  Ghana has competed in various competitions, winning four African Cup of Nations titles, participating in four FIFA World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, and 2022), and one FIFA U-20 World Cup. Ghana, following Cameroon and Senegal in 1990 and 2002, became the third African nation to go to the quarterfinals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.  The Black Satellites, Ghana’s national U-20 football team, are arguably regarded as the team that develops into the country’s national football team. Ghana is the first and only nation to win the FIFA U-20 World Cup on the African continent and was runner-up twice, in 1993 and 2001. The Black Starlets, Ghana’s national U-17 football team, have won the FIFA U-17 World Cup twice, in 1991 and 1995, and have finished second twice (in 1993 and 1997).  Additionally, the nation has produced several top-tier boxers, including Joshua Clottey, Ike Quartey, and three-time world champions Azumah Nelson, DK poison and Nana Yaw Konadu. Thus, it is often argued that the successes of these boxers put Ghana’s name on the map. That said, despite the successes and strives of the other numerous sporting activities, including athletics, tennis, swimming, tennis, handball, hockey, cricket and even local ampe her in Ghana, boxing and at the very extreme, football, appears to have taken the centre stage and have received maximum attention, sometimes even at the detriment of what has been termed “the lesser sports”.  Ghana is by no means a two-sport country, but there is also no denying the fact that boxing and, especially, football have dominated everything from Olympic medals to individual triumphs, to moments that left us stunned, happy, and sometimes sad. Take, for instance, the penalty missed by Asamoah Gyan in the 2010 World Cup against Uruguay (GhanaSoccerNet., 2017). Alternatively, more recently, the penalty miss by Andrew Ayew against Uruguay in the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup. The entire nation gasped in both cases. Football is a blessing. But riddle me this: is football the only sport that Ghana has to concentrate on to the detriment of the other sports? What successes, if any, in other sports, have brought some nations together? Fortunately or unfortunately, the apparent maximum concentration on football dates to the era of the first president of the Republic, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Football in this era was used as a Pan-African tool to promote unity and call for mobilization among participating countries. Thus, Nkrumah participated in some local clubs’ fundraising games and even ‘kicked-off’ one game between Accra Hearts of Oak and Standfast.  When it became clear that independence would soon come, Nkrumah took on much more of a direct role in football management, which allowed him to project his vision for the sport as a means of forging the kinds of cultural and emotional ties that he thought were essential for the establishment of a peaceful Ghanaian state and pan-African unity (Darby, 2013).  The importance of Nkrumah’s use of the Black Stars to promote pan-Africanism is emphasized by Benjamin Koufie, a former player and assistant coach of the national team, who recently recalled that, since Nkrumah utilized football to reach every country on the continent, he wanted to make sure that the Black Stars of Ghana were a shining example.  Ghanaian football has not been without its many controversies. Those in the sports fraternity and the ordinary Ghanaian have often argued and wondered why the government of Ghana continues to spend relatively more on football. Football apparently unites Ghana like no other sport does. But is this limitation organic or self-imposed?  As mentioned early on, the focus given to the football fraternity is sometimes to the detriment of other sports. For instance, the Ghana Basketball Association of Ghana was cited in 2011, almost lamenting their neglect by the Sports Authority. Thus, after nine months of qualifying for the 22nd Africa Women’s Basketball Championship 2011, hosted by Mali, their call for support fell on deaf ears. It took the benevolence of well-wishers and private individuals to get

Ghana is located in the western part of Africa and is the closest location to the centre of the world. Formerly the Gold Coast, Ghana has a total land size of 238,533 Square Kilometers. The nation serves as a crucial West African anchor for stability. For many years, Ghana has successfully pushed for greater regional integration and a sound policy framework for neighbourly collaborations.  Ghana’s economy mainly relies on the export of a small number of goods, primarily gold, crude oil, and cocoa. The primary source of revenue and contributors to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) comes from the Agricultural and service industry. The tourism sector, thus, is the third-largest GDP contributor and recipient of increasing levels of foreign investment each year (Oxford Business Group, 2022). Ghana made the transition to lower-middle income status in 2010. However, the amount of development in the economically robust coastal region and the level of growth in the country’s north varies significantly. Ghana accomplished many of the Millennium Development Goals’ 2015 deadline-related goals. Ghana was the first nation in sub-Saharan Africa to successfully reduce poverty by half since 1990. There have been several economic restructuring and revenue mobilization mechanisms since 1982.   Regardless of these macroeconomic obstacles, the performance of the creative and art industries (tourism industry) post-covid-19 has seen marginal improvements. If not for the onset of the virus, the tourism sector, in the events of “The Year of Return” campaign in 2019, contributed 5.9% to Ghana’s GDP, with revenue of $ 3.7 billion (Oxford Business Group, 2022).  That not surprising at all because, in Ghana, tourism has long been a significant economic driver that produces foreign exchange revenues, wealth and job creation, and promotes other economic sectors. With 1.2 million arrivals, tourism is presently the fourth-largest source of foreign exchange revenues, estimated at US2.2 million (Ekow, 2022). In addition, 393,000 individuals were reportedly employed directly or indirectly by the tourism sector in 2015, including management of tourist attractions, hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, and other businesses (Ekow, 2022).  There are lots of potential in the tourism sector. However, in the era of post-Covid-19, where travel restrictions have been removed, and in the events of the “Beyond the Return” campaign, the question begs, can art and tourism serve as an alternative source of income for our ailing economy? What lesson can we learn from countries like Dubai that derive much income from tourism?  To Start this, Ghana abounds with many tourist sites like the Paga crocodile pond, Castles in Elmina and Cape Coast, Kakum canopy walk, and Fiema monkey sanctuary, to mention a few. Historically, Ghanaian society did not effectively rely on tourism as a source of income, which represented a missed opportunity to contribute to the economy’s diversification… until the Rawlings regime. The Rawlings regime spotted this area of potential, seized the Ghanaian culture, and employed it as a source of cash. As a result, the Rawlings administration successfully promoted tourism at the expense of capitalizing on Ghanaian culture through the restoration of castles that were once used for the slave trade, the creation of public memorials honouring Ghana’s “illustrious sons,” and encouragement from the government through incentives for private investments (Pierre, 2013). Ghana’s tourism sector is renowned for promoting ecotourism, which encompasses cultural, heritage, leisure, adventure, and event tourism. Heritage tourism concentrates on the past of the slave trade whereas cultural tourism concentrates on festivals and activities. Vacationers can experience theme parks and beaches thanks to recreational tourism. While event tourism focuses on resources and conventions, adventure tourism explores rainforests and game parks (Yankholmes, & McKercher, 2015).  Thus far, there are well over forty-one (41) tourist sites in Ghana, spread across the length and breadth of the country.  Take, for instance, the Kintampo waterfall in the Bono East region, the Elimica Castle in the Central region, the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in the Bono East region, the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in the Greater Accra region, Lake Bosomtwe in the Ashanti region, the Mole National Park in the Northern region among many others.   Moving on, the immense contributions of these arts and sites to the economy of Ghana cannot be over-emphasised, but there is a lot of potential yet untapped. This will require much effort and dedication from industry authorities, Private Sector players and the government. This has been necessitated by the fact that every tourism product competes with every other at its price point in today’s globalised market.  Thus far, even though the individual traveller is the primary decision-maker, the world tourism industry, represented by tour operators, travel agencies, and transportation services in the countries of origin of tourists, significantly determines the amount of tourist flow to a specific destination. Destinations can impact these external industry managers through successful and ongoing promotion, marketing initiatives, and multinational strategic collaborations.  Still, these efforts will only be fruitful if there is a high-quality product to sell that is competitive in value and price. A good example is the unique silk thread on fibreboard art pieces pioneered by Ghana’s Kwabena Yeboah of YEB Gallery; a push by the nation’s Arts industry could see us positioning one of our own in the upper echelon of contemporary art, which would serve Ghana’s image significantly. In this vein, countries like Rwanda, Gambia, Seychelles, Mauritius and Dubai have strived to position their citizens and institutions as the number one destination centres in the world for top-quality Arts and Tourism experiences. Take, for instance, Rwanda, against what can be described as one of the most horrific events in recent memory, killing a million people and shaking an entire country to its core; they have licked their wounds and have evolved as the premium experience Wilderness Safaris. In addition, two more premium names, Singita and One & Only Resorts, are opening facilities near the park in 2018 and 2019, making Rwanda a new centre of luxury tourism.  Today, Rwanda is considered one of the safest places in Africa for quality tourism experiences. More so, tourism, in particular, is booming. With a 30 per

As the largest contributor to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), accounting for over 50% of GDP, agriculture is essential for the country’s overall economic development. In addition, it generates roughly 60% of export revenue. It economically supports 80% of the people, whether directly or indirectly, through farming, the sale of farm goods, and other services to the agricultural industry (MOFA, 1991). Irrigation is a crucial component required for the modernization of agriculture in Ghana. Unfortunately, the overall area under irrigation as of 1996 was expected to be only 11,000 hectares, or 0.26% of the total area under cultivation (Sant’ Anna, 1997). Memuna and Cofie (2005) state that this has been little change. This supports the reality that, despite higher yields and twice-yearly cropping on specific irrigated schemes, agriculture is primarily rainfed and subject to the whims of the weather and climatic changes. Smallholder farmers, i.e. owners of farm plots less than two hectors, according to Nagayets (2005), are the custodians of  85% of all farms worldwide, accounting for 50% and 75% of the world’s hungry people worldwide and in Africa, respectively (Sanchez and Swaminathan 2005). However, agricultural output and smallholder farmers’ livelihoods in Africa are severely hampered by various difficulties that exacerbate food security, such as climatic changes, disease and pest invasions, post-harvest losses, market shocks, and a lack of capital/credit, among others (Morton 2007).  Climate change is expected to intensify the predicament of smallholder farmers, according to new research, which predicts that even minor temperature rises will severely impact the output of major cereal crops grown by smallholder farmers, such as maize, rice, and wheat (Morton 2007). Moreover, tropical nations, such as those in Africa, with already large populations of impoverished and smallholder farmers, are projected to be the hardest hit by the effects of climate change (Hertel and Rosch 2010).  For instance, Ghana, a country with a land size of 238,540 km² (92,101 mi²) and a total coastline of 539 km (334.9 mi²), is enriched with lots of resources (human capital, land and minerals). It is primarily an agricultural nation, with the vast majority of its citizens working in agriculture either directly or indirectly.  Ghana has reasonably decent and necessary resources for the growth of agriculture, biodiversity, water resources, minerals, etc. Still, it nevertheless struggles with complex poverty that is widespread, deep, and systemic. This can be attributed to the fact that, like many “smaller” countries around the world, smallholder family farms that are predominately rainfed and hence climate-sensitive make up the majority of the agriculture industry in Ghana (Nyantakyi-Frimpong & Bezner-Kerr, 2015); Stanturf et al., 2011).  According to the harvest area, cassava, maize, groundnuts, and sorghum are a few of the nation’s top agricultural products (Choudhary & D’Alessandro, 2015). This calls into sharp focus the need to assess the impact of climatic changes on our agriculture and explore further “irrigation farming” instead of the “rainfed” agriculture in Ghana.  To develop resilience, one must comprehend the threat climate change poses to Ghana’s agricultural industry. Precipitation that is unpredictable and changeable, rising temperatures, and prolonged dry spells are only a few effects of climate change on Ghanaian agriculture.  In some places, especially in the Northern regions of Ghana, where 80% of the indigenes are mainly farmers (Ghana Statistical Service 2013), research has found that delays in the start of the rainy season, severe droughts and climatic variability have significant implications on agriculture. Thus, in general, and for some time now, in Ghana, rainfall patterns have been unpredictable and unevenly distributed throughout the seasons.  As a result, agroecology regions have poor yields, low productivity, food insecurity, and poverty in the farming community. This highlights the need to transition from manual, rainfed, supply-driven, and production-oriented agriculture to mechanized, irrigated, market-oriented agriculture that is technology-heavy. Thus far, Rainfed Agriculture denotes a farming system that relies on rainfall for water. This has been the most widely used farming method worldwide, especially in the “poorer” nations. Although the importance of rainfed agriculture varies by area, it provides most of the food for underprivileged populations in developing countries.  For example, more than 95% of the agricultural land in sub-Saharan Africa is rainfed, compared to over 90% in Latin America, 60% in South Asia, 65% in East Asia, and 75% in the Near East and North Africa (Meenakshi., 2020). In Ghana, and especially in the Northern Zones, where the poverty level is three times their Southern counterparts, rainfed agriculture serves as a survival mechanism rather than a growth-oriented activity.  Moving on, the following features are characteristic of rainfed agricultural areas in the semi-arid, arid and sub-humid agro-ecological zones: Certainly, rainfed agriculture will continue to be the only food source for some regions of the world and some parts of Ghana. Such a farming system is faced with numerous restrictions created by the wide variety in climate, soils, relief, and geography, as well as by anthropogenic changes.  Rainfed areas also need to contend with several grave hazards. Today, most rainfed areas are farmed utilizing outdated, traditional, and undeveloped methods for managing soil and crops, according to Rashid et al. (2004). The main obstacles are soil erosion, credit shortage, moisture stress and uncertainty, and nutrient depletion.  Consequently, agriculture in rainfed areas continues to be high risk and low input for farmers with little resources due to the unpredictable nature of the weather. Low yields in certain places could be ascribed to lousy crop management techniques, inadequate and unbalanced fertilization, and low seed quality. In addition, excessive runoff, outdated and traditional land and water management methods, and fragmented property holdings may cause low water use efficiency.  Therefore, crop yields are far below their demonstrated possible potential. Also, improper soil conservation practices can negatively impact the productivity of land resources, e.g. excessive cultivation on steep slopes, short fallow periods, cultivation in vulnerable areas, shallow tillage, uneven fertilizer use, and illogical irrigation practices (Irshad et al., 2007). On the contrary, and in light of sustainability and sustainable farming, the focus has been shifted to the use of technology and practices that