Ghanaian actor Clement Bonney, widely known as Mr Beautiful, has criticised the effectiveness of Ghana’s creative arts agencies, insisting that the sector is not witnessing meaningful progress despite renewed political attention.
Appearing on United Showbiz on United Television (UTV) on March 1, 2026, the actor challenged industry players to take responsibility for what he described as stagnation within the creative space.
According to him, practitioners must first examine their own level of innovation and commitment before blaming external forces for the industry’s struggles.
“We, the creative arts people, are we being creative enough for our industry? Do we even have an industry? Nothing is happening,” he stated during the discussion.
Mr Beautiful acknowledged what he described as unprecedented support from the current administration, noting that since 1992, Ghana has not had a president who has shown such open appreciation for the creative arts sector. However, he warned that the industry cannot rely solely on political goodwill.
“From 1992 to date, this is the first time we are getting a president who loves the creative arts industry. When such a person leaves, we may not get someone like him,” he said, stressing that stakeholders must act decisively while the opportunity exists.
He further raised concerns about the recent inclusion of financial allocations for the creative arts in the national budget, saying the announcement has created uncertainty rather than clarity.
Mr Beautiful questioned the structure of the proposed support, asking whether the funds would be offered as loans or grants and what criteria would guide disbursement.
“In what way are we going to access the money? Is it a loan or what? I want to know what the money will be used for,” he queried.
