General

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

According to Britannica (2022), industrialization in history refers to the process of change from an agrarian and handicraft economy to one dominated by industry and machine manufacturing. These technological changes introduced novel ways of working and living and fundamentally transformed society.  This process started in 18th-century Britain. From there, in it began to spread slowly worldwide. The question then begs, what made Great Britain unique enough to be the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution?  According to historians, several variables came together in Britain in the middle of the 18th century to create the ideal conditions for industry development (Study.com 2022). The following is an examination of a few of the variables above:  • Agricultural innovations: British farmers effectively used new agricultural methods and equipment to boost their output. Even enough food could be grown by fewer individuals to feed a sizable labour force. • Boom in population: Between 1750 and 1800, the population of Britain doubled. More people in the country could work in industries and buy made items. • Economic advancements: Britain had created a financial system, including a stock market and banks that could handle surges in economic activity. • New ideas and a scientific perspective: The British were explorers who valued scientific discovery and human growth. They were continuously learning new things about the way the world operated. • Foundations for transportation: Britain had several navigable rivers, good highways, and canals that could move goods from manufacturers to consumers and raw materials to factories. • Natural resources: Britain’s substantial coal and iron reserves provided the electricity needed to run new enterprises. • A willing government: The British government supported industry, promoted trade, granted patents to protect inventors, provided financial incentives to manufacturers, and maintained a laissez-faire attitude, well-liked by businesspeople. • Multiple colonies: It’s a touchy subject but having multiple colonies that were part of a commerce network provided raw supplies and a market for completed goods. Even though it took decades for the Industrial Revolution to spread, it was revolutionary because it fundamentally altered Europeans, their society, and their interactions with other people. Mass migrations from rural areas to metropolitan areas, where impersonal coexistence replaced the typical intimacy of rural life, were facilitated by the creation of massive enterprises. Higher productivity levels prompted a search for new raw material sources, altered consumer behaviour, and a revolution in transportation that made it possible to transport goods quickly across the globe.  As a result, traditional social ties underwent a significant transformation due to the development of an enormous industrial working class (or proletariat) and a prosperous industrial middle class in motion.  The change set in motion by industrialization ushered Europe, the United States of America and much of the world into the modern era. Several years on, some parts of the world, especially those from sub-Saharan Africa, appeared (appears?) to be lagging in terms of “development”. Yet, contrary to common belief, African manufacturing flourished at the turn of the 20th century, especially in the 1920s, while the continent was still a part of the British Empire.  Sub-Saharan Africa’s industrialization process took place in two stages:  1. the first stage, which was very early and stimulated by colonial people, began around the 1920s and ended in the late 1940s; and 2. the second stage started in the late 1950s and gained momentum in the 1960s when import substitution was widely used.  During this period, Tanzania, Zambia, and Nigeria started putting import substitution into practice on a large scale in the first half of the 1960s. Later, this strategy was put into practice, among other nations, like Ghana and Madagascar.  Until the 1980s, import substitution was observed in other Sub-Saharan countries. Industrialization in the latter period, like in Latin America, was a politically driven tactic to combat underdevelopment.  The Sub-Saharan region’s import substitution process followed the dynamic type of any import substitution process. A structural adjustment policy strongly disapproved of the industrialization system for the area. Due to this, that strategy lasted only until the second half of the eighties.  How that process occurred in African countries and why it was unsuccessful are still unknown. Take, for instance, Ghana after Kwame Nkrumah. Ghana’s first president adopted a policy of government-sponsored economic expansion. Later, many of his ambitious projects came crashing down as cocoa revenues, his primary source of foreign currency, plummeted along with the decline in global prices (Efam 2013). Several years on, and after several political turmoil and gimmicks, many strive to return to the “old glory”, which is now more than ever heightened (Agbozo et al., 2019).  See, for instance, the constant revamping of Ghana’s famous Komenda Sugar Factory. However, the most popular and somewhat ambitious import substitution via industrialization in recent times is the “One District One Factory” championed by the current Akufo-Addo lead Government.  The President of Ghana launched the One District One Factory (1D1F) project in 2017 to shift the country’s economy from one that is reliant on the sale of raw materials and the import of completed goods to one that is centred on manufacturing, value addition, and the export of processed goods.  As a result, critical raw materials that would have otherwise gone to waste are frequently located in areas with potential for manufacturing. Devoid of all the political gimmicks, the “One district One Factory” in principle has the following core principles: • Companies involved in the programme are private, government-supported businesses rather than state enterprises; • Companies that match the 1D1F requirements may be either new or established companies; • If several developers are interested in a specific location, there may be more than one enterprise in that district in Ghana; • In some circumstances, the government may enter into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with a strategic investor through the District Assembly; and • The Ministry of Trade and Industry, in collaboration with other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and District Assemblies, coordinates and administers the 1D1F project. Thus, according to John (2019), when all is set and done, the aim or the objective 1D1F initiative is; • To