The 2016 National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC) have begun in Accra last Saturday with a Grand Durbar and an exhibition of art and craft at the Forecourt of the State House.

The weekend event officially kick started the over-a-week long celebration of the rich culture of the Ghanaian people from October 28th to November 4th 2016. Since its inception in the 1960s, NAFAC has brought together, traditional authorities and people from the many cultures in the country to celebrate the fundamental harmony of the various cultural expressions. Over the years, it has become one of the institutionalized national events that project our cultural legacy and promote our traditional values.

This year’s is under theme, ‘’Promoting a Culture of Peace for National Unity, Social Cohesion and Economic Empowerment.’’ And began with Muslim prayers at the Central Mosque last Friday, where the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts led a delegation to pay a courtesy call on the national Chief Imam.

The Grand Durbar of Chiefs held amidst regal pomp and pageantry and featuring all the ten regions of the country also witnessed the presence of players within the arts fraternity comprising performing and visual artistes, film makers, designers and dress makers and all allied industry players. Amidst fantastic cultural displays from various groups from across the country, NAFAC 2016, opened with a reminder to all patrons who had from every part of Ghana and beyond that our culture is the bedrock of our uniqueness as a people.

Chairman of the occasion, the Osu Mantse, Nii Okwei Kinkan Dowuna VI expressed delight at the fact that the region had been chosen to host this year’s NAFAC. For him, it was an opportunity for people to acquaint themselves with the cultural and tourism offering of the Greater Accra people. He said the presence of various chiefs and people from different parts of the country made the event a unifier, therefore was worth celebrating. He mentioned that the theme was appropriate considering the period in which are and called on Ghanaians to use the occasion to promote peace and unity within this electioneering period.

Reiterating the call for peace at this time of our democratic dispensation was the Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo who described NAFAC 2016, as ‘’a welcomed intervention because it would offer us ample opportunity to display cultures from the regions to cultivate bonds of friendship and neighborliness as we brace ourselves for the 7th December Elections.’’ He added that celebrations like this was important to the region because they considered not just part of their time-honoured traditions and customs but also have been nurtured and treasured over the years because of its relevance to the development of the society.

On her part, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare stated that our culture is anchored on the strength of our heritage which is represented by our esteemed traditional leaders and that NAFAC provides us the opportunity to display our customs and chieftaincy with its pomp and pageantry. For her, the various cultural expositions by the Chiefs and Queen mothers amidst the sounds of traditional drums bring home the relevance of our tradition and customs.

According to the Minister, NAFAC 2016 is a joint celebration of the achievements of MoTCCA, its agencies and the entire tourism, culture and creative arts sector. She mentioned for instance that cultural infrastructure will receive a considerable boost with the virtual completion of the Brong Ahafo, Eastern and Volta regional cultural complexes which are at various stages of completion.

She stated also that for the purposes of proper data collation and access, her Ministry, has established the Tourism Satellite Account together with other institutions like the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana Statistical Service and the Bank of Ghana. ‘’This is an initiative to provide credible data on tourism, culture and the creative arts to inform policy makers, the academia and others about the impact of the sector on our national economy,’’ she said.

Also touching on the theme of NAFAC 2016, Mrs. Ofosu-Adjare noted that it is about the achievement of economic empowerment, in which case we have to be creative in whatever we do so we can create the goods and services that are largely indispensable for our survival.

She urged Ghanaians to be mindful of the activities of foreign cultural practices which have the tendency to disillusion the minds of our vulnerable youth and more so, to adulterate our culture. ‘’Our tastes and preferences must change so that we can cherish and develop an unquestionable liking for products and services of Ghanaian origin. This has been the motive for the celebration of NAFAC all over the years,’’ she stated.

President John Dramani Mahama whose speech was read by the Sports Minister, Nii Lante Vanderpuiye charged Ghanaians to rally round the NAFAC festivities to translate our unity in cultural diversity into an asset to nurture indigenous creativity and ingenuity.

He noted that the Culture and Creative Industry is a growing sector that deserves greater attention for it to make a significant contribution to national development, particularly in employment creation, poverty reduction, gender and youth employment, and the sustainable use of natural resources and conservation of ecosystems.

The President said, ‘’there is a need to forge a holistic and integrated approach towards enhancing the economic viability of our cultural institutions and the resourcefulness of practitioners, reviving traditional technologies, developing local markets and gaining access to international markets.’’ He entreated all to be motivated by the positive display of our culture that inures to national development and called on Ghanaians to join hands and celebrate NAFAC 2016 bearing in mind that Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts contribute to national development as the fourth mainstay of Ghana’s economy.

Programme outline for NAFAC 2016 include, Muslim Prayers, Mass Service, Choral Music Night, Performing Arts Nights, Regional Day Celebrations, Live Band Music, Exhibitions and Traditional Food and Drinks Day Exhibitions. Others are, Open Air Theatre, International Friendship Night, Traditional Beauty Pageants and a host of other interesting activities.