Africa-Press – Ghana. Mr John Setor Dumelo, the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, has urged graduates of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) to utilise their talents to shape the present and future of Ghana’s development.
He said the country’s emerging human resource stood at a critical intersection, not merely inheriting Ghana’s legacy, but serving as the bridge between its current status and future growth.
Mr Dumelo, also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayawaso West Wuogon, and an alumnus of GIMPA, made the call in Accra at the July session of the 25th Congregation of the Institute as the Guest Speaker.
Speaking on the theme: “From Heritage to Creative Futures: Inspiring Development through Artistic Education and Enterprise,” he charged the graduates to apply their training to enhance development, whether their future lay in public governance, law, technology, or the creative economy.
“I know first-hand the power of a GIMPA education, not only in shaping capable professionals but also in cultivating visionary thinkers who can bridge policy and practice, theory and innovation, tradition and transformation,” Mr Dumelo said.
He envisioned a Ghana where fashion designers would become global ambassadors of Ghanaian culture, exporting not just garments, but stories woven in kente and dyed in tradition.
“…and a future where the creative economy is not just a sideshow but a pillar of national development,” he said.
Mr Dumelo called for a Ghana where digital artists, filmmakers, and musicians owned their intellectual property, had access to funding, and were protected by a robust legal framework shaped by the country’s emerging legal minds.
“Let’s build a Ghana where government policy actively invests in artistic education as a tool for national identity, youth employment, tourism growth, and international recognition,” he said.
The Deputy Minister, drawing from his experience in the entertainment industry, said Ghana lacked not talent, but systems, support, and structural training.
He urged the graduates to step boldly into the creative frontier, and called on GIMPA to continue leading not only in governance and business but also in artistic innovation and creative enterprise.
Professor Yaw Agyeman Badu, Chair of the GIMPA Governing Council, said Ghana’s cultural heritage, especially in the performing arts and creative industries, was an invaluable national asset.
He said it would take deliberate investment and academic engagement to transform that heritage into sustainable economic and social enterprise.
“Whether we operate within the artistic realm or beyond, the message remains clear — our heritage informs our attention, and education fuels innovation,” Prof Badu said.
“That legacy is a call to action, not just for creatives, but for scholars, policymakers, and entrepreneurs to unite in shaping a prosperous, inclusive Ghana.”
Degrees conferred during the ceremony included Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees from the GIMPA Business School, Bachelor of Laws (LLB), and LLM in Dispute Resolution, Law and Practice, and Criminal Law and Justice from the GIMPA Law School.
Other graduates received Bachelor of Science, Executive Masters, Master’s, and MPhil degrees from the School of Public Service and Governance and the School of Technology and Social Sciences.
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