Juliet Asante, the former Executive Secretary of the National Film Authority (NFA), has opened up about the daunting challenges she faced while trying to regulate and promote Ghana’s film industry.
Asante’s journey began with the overwhelming task of establishing the NFA from scratch, armed with nothing but a paper mandate and no resources.
Recounting her experience, she said, “With a paper in hand, but no office or money, I set out to recruit staff. With two staff members, we started the work. I took time to draft a strategy paper. But it became very clear, very quickly, that no one was interested and that this was going to be a very, very long road.”
Asante highlighted the severe financial constraints that made her task even more difficult.
In the first year, the NFA was allocated a meager GH¢1,000 to run its operations.
“In the first year, we were given GH¢1,000 ($100) for the entire year. In the second year, we received GH¢10,000 (about $1,000 at the time). Neither I nor my staff received salaries for two years. We had to shoulder the cost of running a government office from our pockets. We worked from my home or the homes of other staff members,” she revealed.
Asante also noted that there was no guidance on how to establish a new government agency, making the process even more challenging.
Furthermore, she had to navigate a difficult working relationship with an antagonistic board that made it clear she was not their preferred choice for the position. Despite these obstacles, Asante persevered, driven by her passion for promoting Ghana’s film industry.