How Indigenous Art Impacts National Development

The indigenous arts of Ghana play an important role in the development of the nation. The roles they play are discussed below.

• Job Creation/Employment:

The indigenous arts offer various employment avenues to the majority of people, especially the rural folks. This helps them in providing for themselves and their families, thereby reducing the unemployment ratio in the country, easing the government of the burden of unemployment.

• Reduction Of Rural-Urban Migration:

Most of the indigenous arts of the country are done by rural folks in small villages and towns. Owing to the fact that they offer jobs for the masses of people there, it prevents them from moving to the urban centres to seek for greener pastures placing a lot of pressure on the limited resources and social amenities allocated for the cities in the urban areas.

• Source Of Revenue For The Nation:

The small scale and cottage industries which are in the production of the various indigenous arts pay tax revenues to the government. The money generated from these taxes can be used by the government in solving some of the pertinent problems confronting the nation.

• Offers Training In The Form Of Apprenticeship:

The indigenous art production centres offer training in the form of apprenticeship to the young ones in the society. These young ones may not have had the privilege of formal education and may have ended up being social deviants. Because the indigenous industries absorb these young ones, it helps in minimising or eradicating social vices like stealing, alcoholism and others which are mostly as a result of unemployment.

• Promotes The Tourism Industry:

The indigenous industries are viable tourist industries that generate a lot of income for the nation. The indigenous art works are well patronised by these tourists who pay substantial amounts in their purchase. Sometimes, some of their works are exported to other foreign lands to earn income for the artist and the nation.

• Serves As Avenues For Cultural Education:

The indigenous arts are like ‘history books’ of our rich cultural heritage. It helps the younger generation in knowing much about their rich cultural traditions handed down to them by their ancestors. These arts do not just inform them of their material culture, but also the rich philosophies, a body of beliefs and the way of life of their forebears.

• Attracts Foreign Investors:

The activities of the various indigenous small scale industries attract the attention of foreign investors. Because this industry is very lucrative, these foreign investors invest their resources in the business by providing expansions of the industry in the provision of durable raw materials, modern technologies, as well as tools and machinery.

This booms the activities of the industry earning more revenue for the workers and the nation as a whole.