By Solomon Gumah, GNA
Tamale, Oct. 20, GNA – The Tamale Film and Television Academy (TAFTA) has been honoured with the Award for Excellence in Broadcast and Media Education at the 2nd Northern Ghana Business Merit Awards (NOBMA), held in Tamale.
The award was in recognition of TAFTA’s outstanding contribution to media education and youth empowerment in northern Ghana.
Mr Alhassan Abdul Washeed, Chief Executive Officer of TAFTA, speaking after receiving the award, said “This award is a powerful validation of our work, but the real potential lies ahead.”
Mr Washeed said, “At TAFTA, we are empowering Northern Ghana’s next generation of storytellers. Our training replaces theory with real-world skills ensuring our students are not just learners but creators.”
He said TAFTA’s recognition celebrated more than a decade of dedicated work in training young people in video production, storytelling, and digital media skills, adding that the Academy had become a vital training hub equipping students with practical expertise in camera operation, directing, editing, and acting
The awards ceremony brought together a high-profile delegation of government officials, cultural leaders, and academics to celebrate business and institutional excellence across the northern part of the country.
Organised by The Business Executive Media Group, the NOBMA initiative aimed to address the national imbalance in recognition and opportunities, which were often concentrated in the southern part of the country.
It was organised under the theme: “Identifying the Gatekeepers of Business in Northern Ghana,” and sought to highlight individuals and institutions driving economic progress in the Northern, North East, Savannah, Upper East, and Upper West Regions.
Mr Washeed called on government and private investors to channel resources into the northern film industry, which he described as being “replete with organic storylines waiting to be told on the global stage.”
He emphasised need for investment in creative knowledge noting that the gap between scriptwriting and technical production must be bridged if Ghana’s film sector was to thrive.
He touched on the work of TAFTA saying its alumni continued to make significant contributions to the country’s creative sector with many working in mainstream media houses, establishing production companies, and participating in international programmes such as the Canon Development Programme.
He said the Academy was poised for expansion and was seeking strategic partnerships and investments to scale up its production capabilities in line with its mission to advance creative education and storytelling from the north.
Established over a decade ago, TAFTA is a leading vocational training institution in Tamale offering hands-on education in film, television, and media production.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/Linda Asante Agyei