THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CULTURE IN THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF GHANA: THE CASE OF BRONG AHAFO REGION

ABSTRACT

The role of institutions in national development has been championed by

various governments for some time to come now. However, what is most topical

in this quest is the creation of institutions that would look at development from

within, taking cognizance of the local needs and resources of the people. This

study was set out to examine the role of the National Commission on Culture on

the socio-economic development of Ghana using the Brong Ahafo region as study

area. The study made use of questionnaires and interviews as data collection

instruments and a total of fifty respondents were covered made up of respondents

from the district assembly, religious bodies, educational institutions, social

groups, voluntary associations, Non-governmental organisations and artistic

groups. The study revealed that the people in the Brong Ahafo region were aware

of the role of the commission in the promotion of culture in the country. Among

other roles, the study further revealed that the commission was performing its

mandated roles of creating awareness on Ghanaian culture and fostering national

unity among the diverse ethnic groups. However, the commission faced some

challenges such as inadequate human resources, inadequate infrastructural

facilities and over concentration of the commission on day to day administration

to the detriment of the broader goals. The recommend that educational campaigns

among the populace to raise their awareness of the value of Ghanaian culture to

national development and to recruit qualified staff to run the activities of the

commission.