The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has announced plans by the Ministry to establish a dedicated fund to support the weaving and fashion sectors.
She disclosed this when she served as Special Guest of Honour at the NIB PLC Fugu Wednesday Launch held at the UDS Branch of National Investment Bank PLC in Tamale.
She called on banks and financial institutions to contribute to strengthening the textile value chain.
She noted that initiatives such as Fugu Wednesday stimulate the full value chain, create jobs, strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), retain wealth within local economies and empower women who are active in weaving, dyeing and trading.
According to the minister, the promotion of Fugu complements, rather than competes with, Kente and other Ghanaian textiles, stressing that the overarching objective was to revitalise the entire weaving industry nationwide.
She acknowledged the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry’s commitment to improving access to cotton, thread and yarn, noting that such interventions are essential for sustaining local production.
Madam Gomashie highlighted the broader economic and tourism value of wearing Made-in-Ghana clothing, emphasising that cultural promotion was both an economic strategy and a tourism asset.
She expressed appreciation to the President for championing Ghanaian culture through the directive encouraging the wearing of Fugu every Wednesday and thanked traditional authorities for preserving cultural heritage and maintaining peace.
She urged Corporate Ghana to see support for indigenous textiles as a shared national responsibility and reaffirmed her Ministry’s commitment to promoting Ghanaian culture globally, expanding cultural festivals and positioning Ghana as a leading cultural destination.
On his part, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of National Investment Bank PLC, Doliwura Zakaria, described the Fugu Wednesday Wear Initiative as a national effort to promote identity, enterprise, cultural pride and economic transformation through the wearing of Ghanaian textiles.
He said that as a development-oriented bank, NIB’s support for Fugu directly benefits local cotton producers, weavers, artisans, garment manufacturers and SMEs, while strengthening domestic value chains and retaining economic value within the country.
He announced that the Bank will roll out tailored credit products for textile producers, designers and fashion entrepreneurs, including financing for equipment acquisition, working capital and value chain development.
The launch, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, was held under the theme “NIB PLC: Championing Ghana’s Heritage, Empowering Creativity, Financing Culture and Promoting Tourism,” and forms part of national efforts to promote indigenous textiles as tools for economic transformation.
Irene Wirekoaa Osei & Adwoa Koramah Anokye-Gyimah, ISD
