Sports, Arts and Culture Are Worth More Than Gold and Oil — Sannie Daara Urges Ghanaian Investment in Soft Power

CAF media Officer Ibrahim Sannie Daara has called on Ghana to treat sports, arts and culture as strategic national assets, arguing that their global impact can exceed that of the country’s natural resources.

Speaking on Kafui Dey’s interview show, Sannie Daara said football, music and entertainment have become powerful tools for promoting countries internationally and creating economic opportunities for citizens.

“Sports, arts, entertainment and culture are projecting countries in ways that money cannot buy,” he said.

“Sometimes some of these things are worth even much more than gold, cocoa, diamond and oil.”

The veteran sports communicator pointed to Ghana’s memorable 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign as an example of how sports can boost a nation’s image across the world.

According to him, people continue to associate Ghana with that historic quarter-final run against Uruguay more than a decade later.

“Anywhere you go and you say you are Ghanaian, people remember that occasion,” he said.

“That’s why I think that as a country we must take football seriously.”

Sannie Daara argued that the benefits of sports should not be measured only in financial terms.

“The effects and benefits it brings to the country shouldn’t be seen purely in financial terms,” he said. “We should see it in the soft PR and what it brings to the country.”

He also highlighted the global influence of Ghanaian musicians, including Stonebwoy, Shatta Wale and Sarkodie, saying their international reach is enhancing Ghana’s visibility abroad.

“Today, music is projecting Nigeria and even Ghana to some extent,” he said.

“These are things countries spend millions of dollars advertising, but we are getting them through sport, arts and culture.”

The former BBC journalist also lamented the decline of Ghana’s film industry and urged policymakers to support creative sectors with the same seriousness given to traditional economic sectors.

He cited Morocco as a model for strategic investment in sports infrastructure, noting that the North African country has leveraged football development to boost tourism, employment and international recognition.

“People think we are spending too much on football, but look at what football is bringing to Morocco,” he said.

Sannie Daara further pointed to the success stories of footballers such as Mohammed Kudus, Abedi Pele and Asamoah Gyan, arguing that sports continue to lift families and communities out of poverty.

“If each footballer has the opportunity to succeed, it lifts people out of poverty and projects the country in a way money will never be able to do,” he said.

He concluded by urging Ghanaian youth and policymakers to think beyond traditional employment pathways and embrace emerging opportunities in sports, technology, arts and the creative economy.