'We have to protect Ghanaian talent and keep it at home' - Boris Kodjoe

American actor and entrepreneur Boris Kodjoe has spoken passionately about Ghana's growing influence on the global stage, describing the country as a beacon of innovation, technology and cultural progress on the African continent.

Speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb's Patience Adu, Boris Kodjoe, who is of Ghanaian descent, said Ghana had firmly established itself as a gateway to Africa and one of the continent's fastest-growing economies, and called for stronger efforts to retain the country's creative talent.

"We have so many great exports here across the creative spectrum. We have to keep working on supporting and empowering our talent so that the talent stays.

“There's nothing wrong with exporting goods and services, but we have to support and we have to protect our talent and keep it at home," he said.

The actor also spoke about Full Circle Africa, the company he founded in 2019, which played a pivotal role in Ghana's Year of Return celebrations.

He revealed that the initiative helped bring approximately 250 leaders in business, sports and entertainment to Ghana.

This, he says, contributes to an increase in tourism that saw the country go from 40,000 tourist visas to 1.2 million issued in a single year.

"The images that the world saw of Ghana in December went viral and people started coming in droves, which made me very happy. And it's been continuing to grow ever since then," he said.

He added that Full Circle Africa had since launched a streamlined travel vertical designed to service diaspora Africans looking to visit Ghana for cultural experiences, business opportunities or permanent relocation.

He further added that Full Circle Africa is the official travel partner for the Ghana Black Stars and its supporters as they head to the 2026 World Cup in North America.

On his partnership with GhanaWeb, Kodjoe said he was proud to align with a platform he described as a trusted amplifier of authentic African stories.

"GhanaWeb has been telling African stories for a long time and we want to amplify real stories and not support old stereotypical biases and old narratives that Western media has perpetuated over decades.

“I want to be a part of the new narrative of Africa. I want to be a part of Africa claiming its rightful place in being authors to their own stories and thereby defining their global identity," he stated.

Watch the video below:



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