Music producer Richie Mensah has criticised the Ghanaian creative industry for failing to organise itself in a way that earns government support, stating that until the sector proves its economic value, government investment will remain minimal.
Speaking on Showbiz A-Z on Joy FM, Richie, who is also the CEO of Lynx Group Limited, argued that support is earned, not demanded. He advised players in the creative space to focus on producing results instead of expecting handouts.
“I say all the time that leave government alone, leave associations alone. Leave everybody alone and do what you can do. He who embarks on a worthy cause deserves a push,” he told host Kwame Dadzie.
While acknowledging that he has received support throughout his career, Richie emphasised that such support only came after he had demonstrated value.
“You see, I mentioned earlier that as much as I have had a lot of challenges, I have also had a lot of support. But every support I have received in my life has been earned. I wasn’t given the support in a vacuum. I was given the support because I proved that if you support me, it’s worth your time and money,” he noted.
According to Richie, the government has little incentive to invest in the creative arts because the industry has not shown enough economic return or unity.
“The reason government won’t support creative arts is because it’s not worth their time. Let’s be very honest. You have artistes and media people standing there talking about ‘do this for me, do this for us, we deserve this, we are so entitled’ — stop talking,” he added.
Using the United States as an example, Richie pointed out that the American government supports the entertainment industry because it contributes significantly to the economy.
“California has a higher GDP than Texas. This means, in the US, entertainment is bringing in more money than oil. So when you see the US government support entertainment, when you see them pass laws to help entertainment, how LA has laws that favour its own writers and everything — it’s not because the President or the Minister likes music, it’s because they understand that it is making them enough money to invest in other things,” he said.
He expressed frustration over the lack of unity and professionalism within the Ghanaian creative space.
“When we can’t get our act right, who do we want to support us? When we are doing things the way we are supposed to… We can’t even organise enough. And I don’t even mean an association. If you put five artistes in Ghana together, two of them have beef. If you are organising an event right now, the vendors have beef with each other, media houses have beef with each other. We can’t even get our part right,” he lamented.
Richie Mensah has played a pivotal role in Ghana’s music industry, mentoring and producing for some of the country’s top artistes including KiDi, Kuami Eugene, and MzVee.
Beyond music, he has ventured into film, television production, and is also an author. He recently released a book titled Yes, It’s Your Fault, which addresses personal responsibility and professional development.
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