Stop Demanding Support – Richie Mensah Tells Ghana Creatives

Ghanaian music producer and CEO of Lynx Group Limited, Richie Mensah, has criticised the creative industry for not doing enough to earn the government’s support.

According to him, the sector must show its economic value before expecting any serious investment or attention from the government.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z with host Kwame Dadzie, Richie stressed that support is not given freely but earned through results. He advised players in the creative space to stop relying on government and associations, and instead focus on working hard and delivering value.

“I say all the time that leave government alone, leave associations alone. Leave everybody alone and do what you can do. He who embarks on a worthy cause deserves a push,” Richie said.

He explained that while he has received support throughout his career, it only came after he had shown that he was worth the investment.

“Every support I have received in my life has been earned. I wasn’t given the support in vacuum. I proved it was worth people’s time and money to support me,” he added.

Richie argued that the creative industry in Ghana has not shown enough unity or profitability to attract serious government interest. He criticised some industry players for feeling entitled to support without showing results.

“The reason government won’t support creative arts is because it’s not worth their time. Let’s be very honest. You have artistes and media people standing there talking about ‘do this for me, do this for us, we deserve this.’ We need to stop that talk,” he said.

Citing the United States as an example, Richie explained that the American government supports the entertainment industry because it is profitable and contributes heavily to the country’s economy.

He pointed out that California, where Hollywood is based, has a higher GDP than Texas, which is rich in oil.

“In the US, entertainment brings in more money than oil. So when you see the US government supporting entertainment or passing laws that benefit creative workers, it’s not because the leaders love music. It’s because they understand the industry is generating huge money that can be used for other national needs,” he explained.

Richie also expressed concern over the lack of unity and professionalism in Ghana’s creative space. According to him, internal conflicts make it difficult for the industry to present a united front.

“If you put five artistes in Ghana together, two of them are beefing. If you organise an event, the vendors have issues, media houses have problems with one another. We can’t even get our part right. So who do we expect to support us?” he questioned.

Richie Mensah is a key figure in Ghana’s music scene, known for mentoring and producing top stars like Kuami Eugene, KiDi, and MzVee. He has also worked in film and television, and recently released a book titled Yes, It’s Your Fault, which focuses on personal responsibility and professional growth.