Africa-Press – Ghana. The EKGS Culinary Institute has called for greater recognition of the culinary sector as a driver of Ghana’s economic growth.
Speaking at the institute’s 47th graduation ceremony in Accra, Madam Efua Goode‐Obeng Kyei, Director of EKGS, said culinary arts should be treated as serious economic capital and not merely a domestic skill.
The ceremony, on the theme “Developing culinary capital: shaping Ghana’s economic growth through creative skills and innovation,” saw 110 students graduate after completing technical and creative culinary programmes.
Madam Kyei said the culinary sector supported a wide value chain linking agriculture, food processing, hospitality, tourism, events, retail and exports, with strong potential for job creation and entrepreneurship.
“Culinary excellence is serious economic capital, capable of driving employment, innovation and national identity,” she said.
Madam Kyei urged government agencies, financial institutions, development partners and corporate bodies to invest in technical and vocational education, particularly culinary training, noting that Ghana could not afford to overlook a sector with “significant multiplier effects.”
She encouraged the graduates to approach their careers with discipline and confidence.
“Your skill is your capital, your creativity is your power, and your discipline is your foundation,” she said.
Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, commended EKGS for its contribution to skills development and the creative economy, saying the culinary and gastronomy sectors held the key to unlocking opportunities for young people.
She said although culinary arts had gained global recognition as an economic asset, cultural perceptions in Ghana continued to limit participation, particularly among men.
Madam Gomashie urged a change in mindset, noting that globally, men played leading roles in professional culinary practice.
She said Ghana’s experience at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), where countries sought recognition for cultural expressions such as food and dance, demonstrated the economic value of the culinary sector.
“This sector has a platform that can carry many people along, create income and support national development,” she said.
The EKGS Culinary Institute, a private vocational training institution in Accra established in the late 1990s, has provided culinary and creative arts training for more than two decades. It offers programmes in cookery, pastry and cake decoration, floral design and related skills.
Over the years, the institute has trained more than 9,000 students, many of whom now operate businesses or work within Ghana’s hospitality, events and service industries.
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