The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Professor John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor, has defended the university’s decision to invite dancehall artiste Shatta Wale to speak to students, describing him as an entrepreneur whose business ventures deserve recognition.
Speaking about the invitation, Professor Mawutor said Shatta Wale’s achievements extend beyond music, citing the artiste’s ride-hailing platform as one of the reasons he believes students can learn from him.
“Shatta will not insult you if you don’t come to his fold and touch his tail. The Shatta I know will never go haywire if you don’t touch him. Tell me, I’ll go and look for the person,” he said
The Vice-Chancellor argued that Shatta Wale is the only Ghanaian who has established a ride-hailing company capable of competing with foreign-owned platforms operating in the country.
“Shatta has developed a communication app which is equivalent to WhatsApp. Shatta is the only Ghanaian, unless somebody proves me wrong; I might be wrong, but from data… the riding, I mean cars, Uber. Is Uber a Ghanaian company? No. Yango? These are foreign companies. The only Ghanaian who has established a company to compete with these foreign companies.”
Professor Mawutor challenged critics to point to other musicians making similar strides in business and innovation, insisting Shatta Wale’s entrepreneurial efforts make him a worthy speaker for students.
“Please tell me other musicians, and I’ll go for them,” he added.
His comments come amid public debate over the university’s decision to host the award-winning musician, with supporters arguing that his experiences in business and branding offer valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs.
“Shatta is the only Ghanaian who has established a ride-hailing company to compete with the foreign ones.” — UPSA Vice-Chancellor Professor John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor explains his reasons for inviting Ghanaian Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale to engage his students and share… pic.twitter.com/hdJ6c4dFQ8
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) September 17, 2026 PAT/EBSource: www.ghanaweb.com