Coordinator of the Black Star Experience Secretariat, Rex Owusu Marfo, popularly known as Rex Omar, has shed light on why many of the initiative’s planned projects were not executed in 2025.
Speaking in an interview with Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z, the veteran highlife musician and cultural advocate explained that the secretariat was unable to carry out several of its intended activities due to the absence of a budgetary allocation for the year.
According to Rex Omar, the Black Star Experience Secretariat was established after the 2025 national budget had already been presented to Parliament, making it impossible for the initiative to be captured in that year’s financial plan.
“Our office was set up after the budget had been read. We were not included in the 2025 budget,” he explained. “One thing you have to know is that the secretariat is not an agency on its own.”
He further clarified that the secretariat operates as one of the offices under the Presidency and does not function independently like a statutory agency.
“The secretariat is one of the offices within the Presidency, so we don’t have our own account,” Rex Omar said during the interview.
As a result of this structure, the secretariat faced administrative and financial constraints, with many of its activities requiring prior approval from the Presidency before they could be implemented.
“Because the secretariat does not have a budget, we couldn’t do a lot of the things we wanted to do,” he added.
Despite these challenges, Rex Omar assured Ghanaians that significant steps have been taken to prevent a repeat of the situation. He revealed that the secretariat successfully presented and defended its budget for the 2026 fiscal year.
“But by the grace of God, we presented and defended our budget for 2026,” he told host Kwame Dadzie, expressing optimism about the future of the initiative.
In the meantime, Rex Omar explained that the team used 2025 as a foundational year, focusing on planning, partnerships, and groundwork necessary for the long-term success of the Black Star Experience.
According to him, the secretariat embarked on extensive preparatory work, including travelling to several countries to sign memoranda of understanding (MOUs) that will support future projects under the initiative.
The team also rolled out select activities such as Creative Connect Afrika and Taste the Culture, which were aimed at building networks, promoting Ghanaian creativity, and laying the groundwork for broader cultural engagement.
The Black Star Experience is the government’s flagship Culture, Arts, and Tourism brand, designed to redefine and affirm Ghanaian identity while positioning the country as a major cultural and tourism destination.
The initiative seeks to attract both local and foreign investment, create employment opportunities, and boost tourism through a year-round celebration of Ghana’s culture across entertainment, artistic, and educational disciplines.
With funding now expected to be available in 2026, stakeholders in the creative and tourism sectors are hopeful that the Black Star Experience will fully take off and deliver on its promise of showcasing Ghana’s rich heritage to the world.
Rex Omar’s explanation has provided clarity on the challenges faced in 2025, while also setting expectations for a more impactful rollout in the years ahead.
