The National Commission on Culture (NCC) and its regional centres, under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the Ghana Tourism Authority, CeeJay Multimedia and Aayalolo Festival, has launched this year’s Wear Ghana Festival.
The annual Wear Ghana Festival 2023, is under the theme ‘Wear Ghana, for Jobs in Ghana’.
The festival aims to showcase and promote Ghana’s cultural heritage and local textile industry, as well as to recognise creativity in the fashion industry.
The NCC since the inception of Wear Ghana Festival in 2017, has used the month of March to increase advocacy and campaign on made-in-Ghana clothing, fashion and accessories and fabrics.
The Commission in a statement issued by its Executive Director, Madam Janet Nyame on February 28, 2023 explained that, “this year’s festival is an opportunity to promote our national identity and encourage institutions to support our local fabrics and accessories”.
The Commission noted, “as the world becomes increasingly globalised, it is now important more than ever to celebrate and preserve our cultural traditions and uphold the integrity and memory of cultures, particularly the Ghanaian culture”.
The NCC in its statement added, “one way to do this is by making conscious efforts in promoting our Ghanaian wears and their accessories. Socio-cultural and economic researchers and scholars have indicated that clothing and fashion are key elements of a people’s culture that reflect on the people’s history, customs. Belief systems, knowledge systems, communication and their general way of life as well as their natural resources”.
The NCC further stressed in its statement that clothing and fashion have become one of the leading contributors of economic growth.
“In recent times, the clothing and fashion industry have become one of the leading contributors to economic growth of many countries across the globe. It is therefore critical that we pay attention to the needs of the clothing industry in Ghana. It must not be lost on us that one of the leading causes of the economic downturns we are facing as a country is excess importation of used clothing and other fabrics into the country. The question is why are we not patronising ours?” the NCC asked in its statement.
The festival is used to promote all locally made products and services, from food to herbal medicine. This we know has the potential to create jobs and boost the Ghanaian economy as well as increase awareness and confidence in what we have as a people.
This year’s edition will feature several activities aimed at creating employment opportunities for Ghanaian youth in the fashion and creative industry.
Read NCC’s full statement here
