Osu Oxford Street: Heart of African craft market
The Osu Oxford Street in Accra has gradually grown into a commercial hub.
Aside the many shops, hotels, pubs, restaurants and malls which have dominated the area the popular street has over the years grown in the African craft trade.
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The Osu African Craft Market has become an icing on the cake, giving colourful experiences to the famous street with colourful African print fabric, beads, necklaces, purses, bags, dresses and carved artefact made of wood.
The market, which comprises about 10 shops, was on busy buzz during a recent visit with many patrons, notably foreigners and members of the diaspora community.
In an interview with Kwesi Amanquah, a vendor, he said the business started in 1990 during President Jerry John Rawlings' regime at Osu Ringway but exodused to Tip Toe Lane at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle due to a slump at the time.
However, their stay there was shortlived as they were ejected by the then MCE of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, leading to their migration to their current location on the Osu Oxford Street.
He said the market had been one of the most relevant in African craft, as they had projected over the years the culture of Ghana and Africa, with their unique prints and crafts, thus fulfilling the vision of the market.
He stated that majority of people who patronised the products were expatriates and members of the diaspora. Mr Amanquah added that the height of the business was usually during Panafest in August and also during the Christmas and New year celebrations.
The market is known for attracting a lot of tourists into the country which helps in the development of the tourism industry.
Mr Amanquah said most of the beads being sold were African made and could not be replicated by expatriates. Specifically, he said he bought his beads from the northern part of the country (Bolgatanga and Tamale); with some fabrics given to skilled tailors to design and style beautiful African dresses which attract patrons.
Suleman Abdul Ibrahim who also operates in the craft business said, there are no market days for selling their products. Thus, people have been patronising their goods every day.
He affirmed that their customers were largely foreigners, even though the natives also bought the products. He added that the market also supplied products in several quantities to other vendors in neighbouring countries.
Mr Ibrahim appealed to the government to invest in tourism and project local markets which are tourism biased, so that they reach the African and global markets.
He also called for enhanced education, awareness creation and promotion of the use of African prints by government officials especially, to encourage patronage of local prints, and put a ban on the importation of products that are killing local businesses.
He added that the importation of foreign dresses which were sold at very cheap prices had killed the fabric industry in Ghana and should not be allowed to continue, else there could be a complete extinction of the print industry in Ghana in a few years to come.