The Ghana Hairdressers and Beauticians Association (GHABA) has taken its long-running regional Hair and Beauty Festival to the national level, creating a platform to promote skills development, creativity, entrepreneurship, and professional growth within Ghana’s beauty industry.
The inaugural national edition of the GHABA Hair & Beauty Festival 2026, held at the University of Ghana, Legon, in Accra, brought together hairdressers, beauticians, trainers, exhibitors, sponsors, industry professionals, and other stakeholders.
The festival was held under the theme “Transforming the Beauty Industry Through Skills, Creativity, and Enterprise Development.”
Addressing the gathering, the National President of GHABA, Tina Offei Yirenkyi, said the decision to make the festival a national event was intended to reflect the growing importance of the hair and beauty industry to employment, entrepreneurship, and national development.
From regional festivals to a national platform
According to Mrs. Yirenkyi, GHABA had organised hair and beauty festivals at the regional level for about 25 years, with the programmes contributing significantly to professional development, networking, creativity, and unity among members.
She said the association decided to take a bold step by transforming the regional initiative into a national platform capable of bringing together talents, ideas, skills, products, and innovations from across Ghana.
“We wanted to create something bigger. Something stronger. Something that reflects the growing importance of our industry to employment, entrepreneurship, and national development,” she said.
She described the national festival as a new chapter in GHABA’s development and urged members to use the platform to learn, network, innovate, and develop their businesses.
Beauty industry must embrace skills and innovation
Mrs. Yirenkyi stressed that the beauty industry had evolved beyond traditional hairdressing and beauty services, describing it as a serious profession and an important source of employment and economic opportunity.
She identified skills, creativity, and enterprise development as three key areas that must receive attention if the industry is to reach its full potential.
On skills development, she said rapid changes in techniques, technologies, products, and customer expectations required professionals to continuously upgrade their knowledge.
She said GHABA was committed to continuous training, skills upgrading, professional certification, and knowledge sharing to ensure that members remained competitive.
She also encouraged members to embrace creativity and innovation, urging them to develop styles that combine contemporary trends with Ghana’s rich African identity.
“Let us build Ghanaian beauty brands that can compete confidently anywhere in the world,” she said.
Turning skills into sustainable businesses
The GHABA President also challenged members to move beyond simply acquiring technical skills and develop strong business management capabilities.
She said professionals in the industry needed knowledge in areas such as customer service, financial management, digital marketing, and branding.
The goal, she said, should be to build professional, sustainable, and profitable enterprises that employ others, grow over time, and can be transferred from one generation to another.
She described the festival as more than a celebration, saying it was designed as a platform for learning, innovation, business development, networking, and transformation.
ICU-Ghana reaffirms support for GHABA
In a separate keynote address delivered on behalf of the General Secretary of the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU-Ghana), Brother Morgan Ayawine, the Deputy General Secretary in charge of Operations, Emmanuel Benimah, reaffirmed the union’s longstanding support for GHABA.
Mr. Benimah, who read Mr. Ayawine’s address, said ICU-Ghana had supported GHABA from its formative years in the 1970s and had played a role in nurturing the association into a strong and increasingly self-sustaining organisation.
He said ICU-Ghana had, among other things, provided opportunities for GHABA trainers to benefit from international cosmetology training and exposure.
The experience, he said, enabled the trainers to transfer valuable knowledge, skills, and international best practices to their trainees.
Mr. Ayawine consequently commended GHABA’s national and regional leadership, trainers, and members for their contribution to the association’s growth.
He said the creativity and expertise displayed by members at the festival were practical evidence of the value of training and mentorship within the industry.
‘Turn your skills into enterprises’
Mr. Benimah urged GHABA members to transform their professional skills and creativity into viable enterprises capable of generating income, creating jobs and building wealth.
He said enterprise development offered skilled professionals an opportunity to become owners of their businesses rather than relying solely on employment by others.
“Let the skills and creativity you have acquired evolve into viable and sustainable enterprises that will create wealth and opportunities for yourselves, your families, and future generations,” Mr. Ayawine said in the address.
He acknowledged that starting a business could be difficult but encouraged members to approach entrepreneurship with determination, discipline, honesty, perseverance and hard work.
Start small and grow
The ICU-Ghana General Secretary also advised members not to wait until they had substantial capital before starting their businesses.
He said aspiring entrepreneurs could begin with modest facilities and basic equipment and gradually expand as their businesses developed.
He suggested that members could start from a small space, including a kiosk, container, or other suitable premises, acquire essential hairdressing and cosmetology equipment, and engage apprentices where necessary.
“You do not have to wait until you have the resources to establish a large business. Start small, start with what you have, and grow gradually,” he said.
He further encouraged members to explore legitimate sources of funding, including support from family and friends, microfinance institutions, banks, and personal savings.
Festival provides platform for business networking
Mr. Ayawine also urged participants to use the festival to build their clientele and establish valuable business relationships.
He encouraged members to interact with guests, dignitaries, and fellow participants, exchange contacts, and promote referrals.
He said the quality of services showcased at the festival should be high enough to inspire confidence among potential customers and encourage continued patronage.
GHABA pays tribute to pioneers and members
In her address, Mrs. Yirenkyi paid tribute to the late Mrs. Funny Ochere, described as one of GHABA’s founding members, and called for a minute’s silence in her memory and that of other departed members of the association.
She also expressed appreciation to GHABA’s Council of Elders, national and regional executives, members, sponsors, exhibitors, facilitators, partners, and other stakeholders whose contributions helped make the national festival possible.
She particularly acknowledged ICU-Ghana for its longstanding support in training, organisation, advocacy, and capacity building.
“GHABA exists because of you,” she told members, commending them for their commitment, sacrifice, and unity over the years.
A challenge to GHABA members
Mrs. Yirenkyi urged members to leave the festival with tangible benefits and fresh ideas for their professional and business development.
She challenged participants to leave with a new skill, a new business idea, a new professional contact and renewed confidence.
She also called on members to take responsibility for shaping the future of the industry through professionalisation, modernisation, adherence to standards and mentorship of the next generation.
“The future of our industry will not be built by outsiders. We must build it ourselves. We must professionalise it. We must modernise it. We must protect its standards. We must mentor the next generation,” she said.
A new chapter for GHABA
The national festival marks a significant expansion of GHABA’s efforts to bring professionals within Ghana’s hair and beauty sector together around skills development, innovation, entrepreneurship, and professional excellence.
Mrs. Yirenkyi expressed the hope that the festival would open new opportunities for members while strengthening the association and Ghana’s wider beauty and wellness industry.
She called on members to work together to build stronger businesses and create opportunities for the next generation.
The festival concluded with renewed calls for collaboration and professional growth, with GHABA and ICU-Ghana reaffirming their longstanding relationship and commitment to the development of Ghana’s hair and beauty industry.
