Category: Arts

The Managing Director of OHU Farms, Mrs Theresa Poku, has been honoured at the Ghana Export Promotion Authority’s Women Icons Regional Exhibition in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital.

She received a citation for her outstanding role in strengthening the Ghanaian economy through her company’s investment in the export of non-traditional products.

Dr Afua Asabea Asare, the Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), presented the citation to her during the opening ceremony of a three-day trade exhibition, held on Thursday at the Apenteng Hall of the Koforidua Wesleyan Chapel.

She commended Mrs Poku for her ambitious efforts in encouraging young entrepreneurs to strive for excellence.

OHU Farms cultivate pineapples along the Southern Belt of the Eastern Region’s Akuapem Hills, and now produces four varieties of jam for both the local and export markets.

Mr Seth Kwame Acheampong, the Eastern Regional Minister, in an address read on his behalf, urged Ghanaians to support female entrepreneurs to acquire skills, funding, and network opportunities that would enable them to succeed.

The Government, he said, remained committed to providing viable avenues through the formulation of appropriate policies to increase exports and rake in more foreign exchange earnings for Ghana.

He lauded GEPA for instituting the Women Icons Regional Exhibitions and believed that female entrepreneurs deserved to be celebrated as a way of encouraging more women to set up businesses.

‘By fostering women’s engagement in global trade, we can foster gender equality, enhance social progress, and promote cross-cultural understanding,’ he said.

Mrs Poku, in her acceptance address, commended GEPA for the gesture and called for stronger collaboration between the Government and the private sector to encourage more investment in the processing of local goods for export.

The Women’s Icons Exhibition is an initiative instituted by GEPA in partnership with Access Bank, to promote women-led businesses while building their capacity to contribute to enhance the export market.

The exhibitors, numbering 39, would also benefit from financial management education and social media marketing during the event.

Other regional capitals would host exhibitions this year where prominent female entrepreneurs would be honoured.

Mrs Theresa Poku, a farmer and businesswoman, started pineapple farming along the Southern Belt of the Eastern Region’s Akuapem Hills, and now produces four varieties of jam for both the local and export markets.

She accepted a request to mentor young people under the Youth in Export Programme (YiEP), which was launched by GEPA in 2019 to inspire the youth to venture into exports and consequently increase Ghana’s non-traditional export base.

Her company is exploring opportunities within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

She has employed more than 100 workers directly and indirectly, currently exports to Europe and the Middle East.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Angolan minister of Culture and Tourism Filipe Zau appealed Friday in Luanda to the member States of the Community of the Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) to promote cooperation between Portuguese and national languages.

Filipe Zau said the objective of the promoting cooperation between Portuguese and national languages is to enhance and ensure scientific research.

Delivering his speech, at the opening of the 2nd Extraordinary Meeting of Ministers of Culture of the CPLP, the official said bilingualism in each country will facilitate the organisation’s mission.

In view of this situation, the minister proposed to those in charge of the International Institute of the Portuguese Language (IILP) – the Executive Secretariat of the CPLP and the focal points – to outline a strategy for implementation of a project that takes into account that aspiration.

The minister defended a greater promotion and dissemination of Portuguese, as a second language, which includes the recognition of the existence of other cultures and languages.

Filipe Zau stated that the community views the culture as a key identity reference and a mean to promote creative industries aimed at employment, income generation and the eradication of poverty.

Meanwhile, he said, the II Extraordinary Meeting will provide an opportunity to assess the degree of implementation of the action plan to boost the exchange.

The one-day meeting is assessing the degree of implementation of the CPLP Multilateral Cultural Cooperation Action Plan (2022-2024) and the “Operational of the Strategic Plan (2022-2026)”.

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Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Rising female reggae and dancehall musician Aklerh has dropped some ruthless vibes on her newest single, ‘Labadi Gyal,’ featuring award-winning musician Jah Lead.

Signed to Revolution Records, Aklerh amps up the energy with her sublime lyrics on this new jam, cementing her prowess as one of the brightest dancehall prospects in Ghana.

The single combines traditional Ghanaian rhythms with modern sounds in a way that is unique to Aklerh, and Jah Lead’s mellow vocals give the song further depth and flavour.

Produced by legendary beat maker Cashtwo of Hitfactory Classic, ‘Labadi Gyal ‘ boasts a vibrant and infectious melody that would have audiences grooving along.

The track’s lyrics celebrate the beauty and allure of Labadi, a vibrant coastal suburb in Accra, Ghana, paying homage to the captivating women who reside there.

This collaboration between Aklerh and Jah Lead is highly anticipated by music fans across the continent, as both artistes have been making waves in the music industry with their unique styles and creative approach to music-making.

Plans are far advanced to ensure the song becomes a major hit in Ghana and beyond with its catchy melody and relatable lyrics.

The song is available across various streaming platforms.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Samuel Fosso 60, a contemporary artist who photographs himself in the style of leading historical figures including Martin Luther King and Angela Davis, has won the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2023, the BBC has reported.

The Cameroonian-born Nigerian photographer Samuel Fosso was awarded the $37,000 prize at the Photographers’ Gallery in London.

Samuel Fossi now described as “a man of 1,000 faces”, has since 1970 specialized in self-portraiture and performative photography and his works currently appear in most renowned galleries across the world.

Speaking to the BBC after bagging the prestigious prize Samuel reacted saying;

“Winning this prestigious prize, recognized as one of the most important in the field of photography, means that my work is recognized by the artistic community.

This recognition is very important to me. I feel a lot of joy and pride.” he stated

The Director of the Deutsche Borse Photography Foundation, Anne-Marie Beckmann, said Fosso’s retrospective opened up new perspectives, allowing many more people to discover his work for the first time.

“Through the retrospective, we were able to see his work differently and gain a much deeper understanding of the relevance of his practice today,” she said.

The jury also acknowledged the work of the other shortlisted artists, Bieke Depoorter, Arthur Jafa, and Frida Orupabo, who received £5,000 each, the Guardian reported.

The exhibition showcasing all four artists is currently ongoing at the Photographers’ Gallery until June 11th, 2023.

Samuel Fosso was raised in Nigeria and later fled the Biafran war as a young boy, in 1972 and was taken in by an uncle in Bangui in the Central African Republic.

In 1975, at the age of 13, reports revealed he opened his Studio Photo Nationale to take commercial portrait photographs. He also made self-portraits to fill the unused parts of his photographic films. His work includes using self-portraits adopting a series of personas, often commenting on the history of Africa.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

A twinning agreement between Laayoune and the city of Hollywood in the state of Florida (United States) was signed Wednesday in Laayoune, with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations of cooperation in the economic, cultural, educational and tourist fields.

As part of the decentralized cooperation between Morocco and the United States, this agreement was initialed by the President of the City Council, Moulay Hamdi Ould Errachid and the mayor of the city of Hollywood in Florida, Josh Levy, at the headquarters of the municipality of Laayoune, in the presence of the wali of the region Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra, governor of the province of Laayoune, Abdeslam Bekrate and elected officials of both cities.

According to both parties, the agreement opens promising prospects for the consolidation of partnership ties in various sectors, including tourism, environment, culture, arts, academic research and sustainable development, in addition to sharing expertise and strengthening cooperation.

This agreement will offer the capital of the Moroccan Sahara an international influence and partnership opportunities that can contribute positively to its socio-economic development.

This agreement marks the beginning of a closer relationship between the two cities in the economic and cultural fields,’ said Mr. Levy at the end of the signing ceremony of the agreement.

Similarly, he said he was ‘very impressed’ by the quality of investments and educational infrastructure, sports, socio-economic and health in Laayoune, praising the efforts made by the Regional Council and the Communal Council of Laayoune in the implementation of projects.

The mayor of the city of Hollywood in Florida also expressed the wish to further consolidate bilateral relations, through the exchange of visits of delegations from both cities. The priority sectors in Laayoune and Florida are similar and complementary, he noted, citing in particular the sectors of aviation, agriculture and education.

He has, in this sense, called for close cooperation between businesses in Hollywood and Laayoune, to benefit from investment opportunities in both cities.

For his part, Ould Errachid stressed that the agreement, which comes after the decision of Washintgon to recognize the sovereignty of Morocco over its Sahara, aimed to deepen bilateral cooperation in various areas.

He also expressed his willingness to establish mutually beneficial relations in all sectors of common interest with the American city. On this occasion, an institutional film highlighting the potential and assets of the two cities was shown.

Similarly, the members of the delegation attended a presentation on the development programme of the municipality of Laayoune covering the various development projects registered under the new development model of the southern provinces launched by HM King Mohammed VI in 2015.

The American delegation visited the Regional Investment Centre, where they attended presentations on the socio-economic potential, the various projects completed and underway and investment opportunities in the region.

During their stay in Laayoune, the U.S. officials made field visits to several projects completed or underway, where they saw firsthand the efforts made to ensure comprehensive and integrated development of the region.

Thus, they visited the women’s municipal club, the Olympic pool and the sports village, as well as projects related to the construction of the Faculty of Medicine, the City of trades and skills and the University Hospital, in addition to the African Institute for Research in Sustainable Agriculture and the phosphate port in Foum El Oued.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A photographic exhibition portraying the Nakba (catastrophe) victims of 1948 will be on display on 15-17 May at the Palestinian Embassy in Luanda, Angola.

This was confirmed by the Palestinian diplomat, Jubrael Al Shomali, while speaking to Angop on May 15, the date on which the conflict between Israel and Palestine began.

Jubrael Al Shomali said that “after 75 years of uprooting, displacement and exile, the number of Palestinian refugees reached about 8 million.

“Israeli brutal actions against the Palestinian people, who even today suffer the bitterness of a conflict, have lasted for decades”, he stressed.

He said that Israel has already settled in more than 85% of the historic areas of Palestine, of approximately 27,000 square kilometers, and 531 Palestinian towns and cities are destroyed.

Data released by Human Rights Organisations and the Palestinian Prisoners Club put at about 1 million the number of people detained by the Israeli occupation forces, since 1976 until today, between men and women.

The area of dispute between the two sides is located in the Middle East, more precisely in Palestine.

The main focus is the city of Jerusalem, a point of strong religious tourist potential and which is considered a sacred place for the three monotheistic religions of the planet: Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)