At a recent Ghana Diaspora Town Hall Meeting, Rex Omar, the coordinator of the Black Star Experience Secretariat, sparked controversy with remarks that appeared to conflate the Year of Return with the Right to Return. The Year of Return, launched in 2019 to mark 400 years since the first recorded arrival of enslaved Africans in Virginia, was a global campaign aimed at engaging the African diaspora, particularly people of African descent in the Americas and beyond. In 2020, Ghana rolled out Beyond the Return, a decade‑long programme designed to deepen diaspora engagement, investment, tourism, heritage and the country’s global brand.
During the meeting, Omar reportedly stated that the Year of Return was an event for Ghanaians in the diaspora, while the Right to Return was for people of African descent. The distinction, critics say, is misleading and suggests a lack of familiarity with the initiatives that precede the Black Star Experience. The Black Star Experience itself was introduced as a year‑round platform for Ghana’s creative economy, culture and tourism, with the aim of projecting the nation’s cultural assets to the world. Omar has explained that it should not be viewed as a single event but as an ongoing initiative encompassing activities across creative and tourism sectors.
Critics argue that the programme’s big mandate demands clear roadmaps, visible partnerships and measurable outcomes. They call for transparency on what has been achieved, what the strategy is and how musicians, filmmakers, actors, fashion designers, event organisers and tourism operators will benefit. Omar’s response has been to urge patience, citing economic constraints that affect all sectors, including the creative industry. “If I don’t have money to feed, why use the small money to watch movie or concert. The economic issue is affecting all sectors including Black Star Experience, but be patient with us. You will see something. We are about to take off,” he said.
While the economic situation is real, the programme cannot remain in a state of perpetual patience. A flagship national initiative must move from explanation to execution. Ghanaians need to see a strategy, partnerships and programmes that demonstrate how the Black Star Experience builds on and improves upon Beyond the Return. The scrutiny of Omar’s leadership reflects a broader demand for accountability and preparedness in the implementation of a national cultural tourism platform.
What to watch next: The government is expected to release a detailed roadmap for the Black Star Experience in the coming weeks, outlining timelines, investment plans and expected impacts on the creative economy. Stakeholders and the public will be keen to see how the initiative addresses the concerns raised and moves from promise to tangible outcomes.
