Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie has urged wealthy individuals and business leaders to invest in the country’s music industry, saying local artistes often struggle to secure the financial support needed to grow their careers and compete internationally.
Speaking on the When We Sit podcast, the Adonai hitmaker noted that many Ghanaian musicians depend largely on their personal resources to fund their projects, even when they present business plans to potential investors.
He contrasted this with Nigeria, where he believes wealthy individuals are more willing to take financial risks to support promising artistes.
“What Ghanaian artistes do is organic. I give a business plan; even with that, it is hard to get some people to come in. But in Nigeria, I think they take a lot of risks; most rich people take a lot of risks to put their people on,” he said.
Sarkodie explained that staging major international concerts requires significant financial resources, pointing to the O2 Arena as an example of the scale of investment involved in such productions.
“If I break down what it takes to do the O2 Arena, you will freak out, but then we still have to do it,” he stated.
The rapper also recounted an encounter with Nigerian billionaire and business executive Tony Elumelu, which strengthened his views on the importance of financial backing in the music business.
According to Sarkodie, he was surprised when Elumelu revealed the amount he was investing in a Nigerian artiste he believed represented the future of Afrobeats.
The experience highlighted, in Sarkodie’s view, how wealthy individuals can influence the growth of the music industry by providing artistes with the resources to develop their talent, promote their work and reach international audiences.
He believes Ghanaian musicians could benefit from a similar approach, particularly as they seek to stage bigger concerts, produce ambitious projects and expand their presence beyond the local market.
Sarkodie’s appeal comes amid broader discussions about the need to strengthen the commercial side of Ghana’s music industry and attract more private-sector investment to support its international growth.
By: Prince Martey-Sogar.