New tourism minister’s appointment ‘too late’ to tackle creative industry challenges – Baba Sadiq

Baba Sadiq, founder of 3Music Awards has expressed skepticism about the potential impact of the new leadership at the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture.

Despite some creatives welcoming the change, Sadiq believes that it’s too late for the newly appointed minister, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, to bring about significant improvements. He emphasizes the need for more comprehensive solutions to address the longstanding challenges within the creative sector.

Speaking to Graphic Showbiz, Baba Sadiq points out the limited timeframe for Mercer, with less than 10 months in office and the upcoming elections, which he believes hinders the minister’s ability to make substantial changes. Sadiq also highlights Mercer’s lack of industry background, stating that more time is required for him to understand the sector’s intricacies before meaningful progress can be achieved.

“We all know this is an election year and from around June till we vote in December, government machinery grinds to a halt because it is when they focus on the elections and campaign.

“That time will eat into the few months left for them to deliver to us. The minister designate is also a sitting MP and he is seeking re-election so he will need time to do that as well, so he can’t do much.”

“He is not an industry person and he has less than 10 months in office. He will need more time to study and understand the space if he is looking to push the sector forward which will take time. We would need someone who can run the space with a certain level of speed.”

“He would need more time to understand the sector, issues and challenges in the industry, find resources and learn how things work before he can pick up, and the time is very limited for him to do all of these,” he said.

Andrew Egyapa Mercer succeeded Ibrahim Awal as the new Tourism minister during a government reshuffle by President Nana Addo on Wednesday, February 14, 2024.