{"id":400437,"date":"2018-02-10T17:13:35","date_gmt":"2018-02-10T17:13:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=400437"},"modified":"2018-02-10T17:13:35","modified_gmt":"2018-02-10T17:13:35","slug":"accra-african-city-artistic-excellence-article","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2018\/02\/accra-african-city-artistic-excellence-article\/","title":{"rendered":"Accra: An African city of artistic excellence [Article]"},"content":{"rendered":"
The world had converged on East London\u2019s Royal Victoria Dock for the annual World Travel Market (WTM) – a global premier-networking event for the international travel and tourism industry, which brings together thousands of huge industry players, senior travel industry professionals, relevant government persons, key industry buyers, digital influencers, students, international press, suppliers of travel and tourism products around globe.<\/p>\n
Though this event was one of the interesting ones for me, a few interactions with participants left me shocked and disappointed- I could not come to terms with the gleeful exhibition of gross ignorance by participants who had little or no knowledge of my beautiful country, Ghana.<\/p>\n
Their questions brought into reality the varied misconceptions, myths, fallacies, errors and generalizations about the African continent. In light of the problematic questions that were thrown at me, I decided to write about the achievements chalked in the African continent.<\/p>\n
As these inane questions were being thrown at me I had wanted to let them know that Africa is a resourcefully-beautiful healthy continent made of 54 independent rich and poor countries known for the export of great mineral resources like Diamond, Bauxite, Platinum Group Metals, Phosphate Rock, Gold, Vermiculite, Cobalt, Zirconium, Copper, Coal, Uranium, Aluminium, Iron, Steel, among others.<\/p>\n
That Africa is not a single dark-poor-nation suffering from terrible diseases. I had wanted to let them know that Africa like anywhere else in the world is not entirely a dangerously violent place as widely reported and that many of its countries are democratically stable with great reputation for religious tolerance and safety.<\/p>\n
That corruption is a universal problem, and Africa has its share. The 2015 Corruption Index showed that corruption levels in countries like Botswana was much more minimal than in Italy and Spain.<\/p>\n
I would have told participants that the latest cell phones with advance specifications are used throughout the continent, with internet connectivity and advanced mobile banking and money transfer systems.<\/p>\n
African innovators continue to contribute to science, medicine, technology, politics, sports, food security, you name it, all around the world, and Kofi Annan (former UNSG) comes to mind.<\/p>\n
Aside these wonderful innovations, Africa has great history, long before its colonial exploration.\u00a0\u00a0 A trip to Egypt, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Southern Africa cave inscriptions by San ancestors thousands of years back, among others<\/p>\n
Importantly, please note also that, though Africa has great safari areas and wildlife parks, dangerous animals do not roam on Africa’s streets everywhere; neither do Africans dwell in caves nor on trees naked!<\/p>\n
A Moorish proverb has it that, \u201cHe who does not travel does not know the value of men.\u201d So come along with me, let me show you a picture of my unique African city called Accra. The capital of Ghana (West Africa) the first independent West African country previously called the Gold Coast, now, Chocolate probably since cocoa has taken over, with Ghana being a leading Cocoa exporting nation apart from being a high-value exporter of gold, petroleum oils, coconuts, manganese, aluminium, diamond, and many types of woods. In 2016, Ghana was listed as one of the world\u2019s top 90 exporters that ships over US$10.7 billion worth of goods around the globe, according to the International Trade Centre.<\/p>\n
In 2013, MasterCard’s African Cities Growth Index Ranked Accra as Africa’s top city, regarding its economic potential over the next five years. Accra has great hotels, casinos, beaches, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, an International airport, a Sea port\/harbour, roads, and railways for transportation, and it hosts tourists all year round.<\/p>\n
As at 2013, the Global Peace Index ranked Ghana as the 58th most peaceful country in the world, having enjoyed a multi-party democratic system since April 1992.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello! My name is Makafui, I come from Ghana, have you visited the Ghana stand yet?\u201d smiling at three Bolivians facing me.<\/p>\n
I had just had a great time welcoming visitors to the Ghana stand and sharing our rich Ghanaian made chocolate and copies of Ghana\u2019s travel brochures at the WTM. \u201cNo! One of them answered with a smile.\u201d \u201cIs Ghana a city in Nigeria?” said the other with a curious look, wondering if Ghana is indeed a city in Nigeria. Well, it is not surprising to hear such a response because Nigerian friends are comparably everywhere with their strong presence. \u201cNo! Ghana is not a city in Nigeria. Ghana is a Country with about 27 million people located in West Africa along the gulf of guinea and Atlantic Ocean and Accra is its capital city, I replied.\u201d I had about 20 minutes, introducing Ghana to them and invited them to come to Accra with me. They smiled with joy and said, “You bet!, we\u2019re going to make it to Ghana soon”. The frequency of the above conversation with different groups of people inspired the decision to write this piece, welcoming and introducing you to my unique Accra city.\u00a0 So, Welcome to Accra!<\/p>\n
Accra is place of real, interesting diversity and the melting pot of cultures; the city offers its visitors varied artistic expressions that include mouthwatering cuisines, dance, music, and diverse ancestral cultures for those spiritual at heart. It is therefore not rare for visitors to discover the ancestral connection and reverence being represented especially during festivals by the traditional lords. Do not miss out on experiencing the conducts at naming, marriage and funeral ceremonies in Accra. Accra is intriguing and entertaining. Every corner has something unique to see or do. Call out communities like Osu, Labadi, Teshie, Nugua, Tema, Tesano, Achimota, Labone, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Cantoments, Ridge, 37, Bukom, Dansoman, Tema and your tour guard will definitely find for you a fine joint where you can enjoy your stay, and enhance your travelling experience. Feel free; do not worry about getting lost: just ask! It is a friendly city with nice people.<\/p>\n
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Come With Me; Let\u2019s take a ride to 10 events and places\u00a0 you should never miss out on<\/p>\n
Accra Chale Wote Street Art Festival<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A place where many find love with galleries of talented arts, music, dance, and tastes of kebab slings, brews, and artifact from vendors. Chale Wote is one of Ghana\u2019s biggest free outdoor arts events, held within the historical streets of James town in Accra in the Month of August (Estimated to have attracted over 30,000 revelers around the globe in 2017). It has become a place where love comes alive for fun lovers, with visible crowds of creative costumed Afrobeat singers, free spirited storytelling artists, filmmakers, writers, activists, body painted performers, drummers, dancers, designers, skateboarders, students, horses.., something you\u2019ll easily slip in love with, a great sight you can\u2019t stop taking pictures of\u2026 See you in Accra soon!<\/p>\n The sight of Ghana’s Supreme Court:<\/strong><\/p>\n