97% of Ghanaian musicians are not making money – Rex Omar

• Posted on February 11, 2026February 11, 2026
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Board Chairman of the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) has said that Ghana is still ill-equipped to promote and maintain its music and creative arts sector.

In an interview with George Quaye on Joy Prime, the highlife legend stated that most Ghanaian artistes do not earn a living from their art.

“Ghana is not ready to support music. I can tell you that 97% of Ghanaian musicians are not making money. The very few that are making money attracts young people to go into music,” he noted.

According to him, while a few successful artistes inspire young people to pursue music, most young artistes enter the industry out of passion.

“They go into music out of passion. But the business aspect of it that will sustain them is zero,” he lamented during the interview on Friday, February 6, 2026.

Rex Omar also disclosed that he will soon step down as GHAMRO board chair, citing delays in electing a new board.

“Technically, I’m still there as chairman, waiting for them to do elections so that I can hand over and leave.

“I’m thinking of leaving this month (February) because what I went there to do is finished. We went to digitise GHAMRO, and I’m going to launch it and I’ll leave,” he said.

Rex Omar further criticised the larger ecosystem of intellectual property and the creative economy, emphasizing that the state has not fulfilled its mandate.

“Ghana is still not ready. Look at our IP industry. Now go to the corporate office. The reason why all our CMOs are suffering is that the role that the state must play and take it seriously is still not being done,” he said.

Rex Omar asserts that Ghana’s creative economy is still far from being prepared to operate as a sustainable industry.