ACCRA, GHANA, April 27, 2026 — Gramps Morgan’s Dadason Entertainment in partnership with Broadway Entertainment have officially announced the appointment of Ishmael Hanson, as the inaugural President of the Ghana Jamaica Homecoming Festival. Hanson who is the the CEO of Six Degrees Africa will lead the festival’s vision, strategy, and execution as it prepares to stage its landmark global edition in Accra on December 4–5, 2026. The festival, positioned as the foremost celebration of the cultural and economic ties between Ghana and Jamaica, is expected to draw thousands of visitors from the African continent, the Caribbean, and the global diaspora.
As President, Ishmael Hanson assumes the principal leadership of the Ghana Jamaica Homecoming Festival, with responsibility for setting strategic direction, forging institutional and commercial partnerships, overseeing programming, and ensuring that the festival becomes a sustainable, world-class platform that amplifies the shared heritage of Ghana and Jamaica. He will serve as the primary ambassador of the festival to governments, diplomatic bodies, the business community, and the global press.
“The Ghana Jamaica Homecoming Festival is not simply an event but a statement of intent. We are telling the world that the relationship between Africa and the Caribbean is one of the most powerful untapped forces in global culture and commerce. My vision is to rally all partners and stakeholders to build a platform worthy of that truth: one that our ancestors would recognise and our children will inherit.”
— Ishmael Hanson, President, Ghana Jamaica Homecoming Festival
The appointment comes at a defining moment for the relationship between the African continent and its diaspora. According to World Bank data, remittances to Sub-Saharan Africa exceeded $54 billion in 2023, making it one of the largest sources of external financing for the region and consistently outpacing foreign direct investment in several key economies. In Ghana, remittances have in recent years accounted for more than eight percent of gross domestic product, making the diaspora not merely a sentimental constituency, but a structural pillar of the national economy. The Jamaican diaspora, concentrated in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, also contributes remittances that consistently account for more than fifteen percent of Jamaica’s GDP. Yet the economic relationship between Ghana and the Caribbean and by extension between the African continent and the Afro-Caribbean diaspora remains significantly under-leveraged.
The Ghana Jamaica Homecoming Festival is designed to change that. By bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, artists, and community leaders from both nations and their respective diasporas on a single platform, the festival creates a marketplace of ideas, education and empowerment, partnerships, and capital that has the potential to generate meaningful long-term economic outcomes and cultural impact.
“The idea behind Ghana Jamaica Homecoming Festival has come of age. It has been a decade of hardwork, resilience and endless sacrifices from me and my partner Abdul Fatau (aka Mayor Nima). Now it’s ready for the global stage and I am proud to have Ishmael Hanson on board for this new era. This is bigger than music. — Gramps Morgan (Nii Oyenii Mpese I), Grammy-Winning Reggae Artist & Festival Partner
The Ghana Jamaica Homecoming Festival, founded by Jamaican-American Grammy-winning icon Gramps Morgan and Ghana’s Abdul Fatau Alhassan (aka Mayor of Nima) will unfold across two days in Accra in December 2026, weaving together live music, cultural exhibitions, panel discussions on diaspora investment, culinary experiences, and community engagement events.
The programme will reflect the full range of the Ghana–Jamaica cultural continuum: from the rhythmic DNA that connects Ghanaian highlife and Jamaican reggae, to the shared Akan heritage that binds coastal Ghanaian communities to the Maroon societies of the Jamaican interior. The festival will also host a dedicated business and investment forum, providing a structured environment for diaspora entrepreneurs, institutional investors, and government representatives from both nations to forge partnerships and explore the considerable bilateral trade opportunities that remain unrealised.
About Ishmael Hanson
Ishmael Hanson is one of Ghana’s most impactful young business leaders and a defining voice in Africa’s $60 billion creative economy. As the CEO of Six Degrees Africa, Ishmael has spent over a decade executing and scaling experiences that move markets and shape culture. Notable projects he has managed include the Guinness Accravaganza, Kweku Smoke’s Revival Concert and the Africa Union Summit.
With operational precision and visionary leadership, Hanson has spearheaded diverse and cross-functional teams across the continent with operational precision and visionary leadership and will continue to forge partnerships and chart new growth pathways with his new role as the President of the Ghana Jamaica Homecoming Festival.
About Ghana Jamaica Homecoming Festival
The Ghana Jamaica Homecoming Festival is a vibrant cultural celebration that honours deep-rooted historical, cultural and spiritual connections between Ghana and Jamaica, while serving as a strategic platform to strengthen bilateral commerce, trade relations and business collaboration between both nations and beyond. The festival is in collaboration between Broadway Entertainment, Dadason Entertainment and the Black Star Experience Office of the President of Ghana. Key partners include Ghana Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, Ministry of Tourism, Ghana Tourism Authority, Diaspora Affairs Office of the President, Ghana Musicians Union (MUSIGHA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Six Degrees Africa.
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