Accra, April 4, GNA – In a display of Pan-African unity and creative ambition, the African Chamber of Content Producers (ACCP) has embarked on series of diplomatic engagements, seeking to leverage Mawuko Kuadzi’s historic Artios Award win for the advancement of Africa’s creative economy.
Led by Executive Director Nana Dwomoh-Doyen Benjamin, a delegation of prominent figures, including veteran actors Fred Amugi, Mynna Otto, Chris Attoh, Peter Ritchie, film critic Tony Asankoma, production coordinator, Alex Barawusu, and MK Casting Executive Secretary Esther Kumawu, conducted courtesy calls on the Ethiopian, Burkina Faso, and Nigerian embassies in Ghana.
Mawuko Kuadzi’s groundbreaking victory as the 2025 Artios Award winner in the commercial casting category, marking the first time an African has achieved this feat, served as the entry point for these vital discussions.
The Artios Awards, presented by the Casting Society of America, are regarded within the global entertainment industry, recognizing excellence in casting.
Mawuko Kuadzi’s win signified not only his individual talent, but also the rising prominence of African creatives on the international stage, breaking barriers and demonstrating that African talent can compete and excel at the highest levels.
This achievement highlights the immense potential of Africa’s creative industry and provides a powerful platform to project a positive image of the continent through diverse content forms.
At the Ethiopian Embassy, the team was received by Ambassador Asaye Alemayoh, Acting Head of Mission for the Ethiopian High Commission, and the Minister Counselor of the mission, Ageazi Brhane.
Ambassador Asaye expressed enthusiasm for the achievement and initiative, highlighting Ethiopia’s commitment to cultural exchange and development, citing “Dine for Generation” tourism initiative, which promotes Ethiopian tourism and culture, as a potential area for collaboration.
Ambassador Asaye promoted intra-African trade after the team and emphasized Ethiopia’s strategic position as the host of the African Union headquarters, making it a pivotal partner in fostering a Pan-African creative economy.
He invited the team to visit Ethiopia and enjoy the beauty of the country as they embark on the important mission of changing the negative stereotypes of Africa and uniting as a continent to develop various sectors for growth.
The delegation then proceeded to the Burkina Faso Embassy, where they met Ambassador David Kabre, Ambassador of Burkina Faso to Ghana, Urbain Dabire, first Counsellor of the Burkina Faso High Commission in Ghana, and the Administrative Bilingual Assistant, Madame Regina Affola.
Ambassador Kabre congratulated the team on Mawuko Kuadzi’s achievement and reiterated Burkina Faso’s dedication to promoting African culture.
He referenced events like FESPACO (Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou) as key platforms for showcasing African creativity and pledged the embassy’s support in realizing the ACCP’s vision.
The team discussed partnership with the African Progressive Research and Innovations (APRIL-STEM), a partner organization to assist with educational support and pedagogy enhancement for Burkina Faso.
Ambassador Kabre applauded the team for tackling other aspects of African development such as education and pledged to facilitate engagements with the Burkina Faso government for mutual cooperation in the coming months.
The final destination was the Nigeria High Commission, where the team had discussions with Ambassador Dayo Adeoye, Acting Ambassador of the Nigeria High Commission, Uray Obuah-Nwosa (First Secretary, Economic and Education), Abdul Malik Hassan (Consular), and Sharifat Lawal (Finance Attaché).
Ambassador Dayo expressed admiration for the delegation’s mission and affirmed Nigeria’s commitment to supporting African creatives.
He highlighted Nigeria’s significant contributions to the global music and film industries, pledging to partner with the ACCP to elevate African content on the international stage and congratulated the team for winning a prestigious honour for Africa and encouraged them to aim for more of such wins and not to be complacent with such an accomplishment.
Ambassador Dayo mentioned the need to highlight the success stories of Africa as a united continent to override the persistent few negative stories which had dominated the narratives of the continent.
During the engagements, the ACCP team unveiled their ambitious plans to produce their first Pan-African feature film in Uganda, a project that will feature talent and collaboration from across the continent.
This film, born from the Africa Monologue Challenge, is being developed under the auspices of the Office of the President of Uganda, the Uganda Communications Commission, Governments of about 10 African countries, and the Pan Africa Women’s Organization (PAWO).
The team revealed that ongoing consultations with key stakeholders across Africa were underway, with the aim of using this film as the inaugural project for the Pan-African creative economy they are envisioning.
Mawuko Kuadzi formally presented his Artios Award trophy to the ambassadors, symbolizing that the win was a collective achievement for the entire African continent.
The gesture, coupled with the announcement of the Pan-African film project, underscored the ACCP’s mission to harness this success to foster a thriving and unified African creative economy.
Nana Dwomoh-Doyen Benjamin, articulated the vision of establishing a unified creative front for Africa, capable of shaping global narratives and showcasing the continent’s rich cultural heritage.
“This win is not just for Mawuko, it is for every African creative,” he stated. “We are here to build bridges and forge partnerships that will elevate our stories and our talents on the world stage. This film in Uganda is the first of many steps towards that vision.”
The ACCP delegation is scheduled to continue its diplomatic engagements with other embassies in Ghana, cement their commitment to promoting African content and branding the continent positively through diverse creative mediums.
It marks a significant step towards realizing a unified and powerful African creative economy, with the Artios Award win serving as a powerful catalyst.
GNA
GRB