Accra, Aug 1, GNA – Ghanaian Artisans have held an Art and Craft exhibition to showcase and improve patronage of the country’s local artefacts.
The event hosted unique and beautiful locally made products, ranging from handicraft wood items, beads, paints, and clothing, among others.
The event was organised by the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) in collaboration with the Art and Craft Market.
Mr Robert Amoakohene, Export Development Officer at the Public Relations Department of GEPA, speaking at the event, said the authority was committed to helping the handicraft industry to flourish by aiding the players to showcase their products.
He urged the Artisans, who were yet to register with the GEPA to do so to benefit from the enormous opportunities the Authority would offer.
Mr Amoakohene said the Impact Hub was one such that the artisans would derive maximum benefits as it serves as a one-stop-shop service centre where exporters and potential exporters could visit and interact with industry players.
He said regulatory bodies such as the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, were some of the key authorities would provide part of their services from the Hub to minimize the time and effort spent by clients in search of information.
Mr Amoakohene said the Hub would also serve as an incubator that would provide guidance, navigation and training to young would-be exporters with export trade information on the standard, quality, packaging, and financing, among others.
Mr Wango Abdul Karimu, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of God’s-Time Craftwork Enterprise, speaking at the exhibition, said the event was to enable Artisans to sell their products and also to help other artists, who did not have shops to market their wares.
He said most of the challenges from the handicraft sector was about production and packaging, adding that there had been improved packaging and product development in recent times.
Mr Wango said the Handicraft sector in the country was rising to the expectation of buyers.
“I will like to take the opportunity to tell all the Ghanaians into the Handicraft sector that, let us focus on packaging and then the production. I think that will help us to grow more,” he said.
He commended GEPA for supporting them to organise such a good event and that their support had made the patronage of art products had risen.
Mr Wango urged all the art and craft dealers in Accra to participate in the exhibition, which was held on the last Saturday of every month to help grow their businesses.
He said there were plans to hold the exercise in the other regions in future to help standardise the local Art and Craft market before extending to the international market.
Mr Edwin Matey Cofie, CEO of Afrikicof Enterprise Ghana, said there was a problem in Ghana and Africa about the Art industry and that Ghanaians must know and appreciate as well as patronise the local artefacts.
He urged Ghanaians to purchase art products as it would help create better employment income for the artisans in the country.
Madam Nancy Drost, President of the North American Women’s Association (NAWA) and a patron of art products at the exhibition, expressed her delight and affection about the exhibition and the variety of items that were on display.
She said her organisation attended the art and craft market exhibition every month and that they also advertise it to their members to help promote Ghana’s art industry.
Madam Megan German, a buyer of the exhibited items, said the exercise was a great opportunity for them to buy good artefacts.
She said the items being made locally was an indication that such artefacts were original and that was why she patronised them.
GNA