Ghana's Fine Arts and Crafts market is worth $2.5 million annually.

However, according to the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), this figure is far-reaching as the industry remains untapped.

At the forefront of changing this narrative is a crop of Ghanaian artists sacrificing their markets in the United States of America for a facelift in Ghana.

I visited the art gallery of Sami Bentil, a renowned international artist whose work of art has massive demand in the West. Having spent 23 years in the United States, Sami says his choice to resettle in Ghana is patriotic.

“I make a lot of my profits abroad. I earn thousands of dollars from my paintings. But these profits mean nothing if I can't revive the market of my home country. It's about patriotism," he reflected.

A unique theme of Sami's work is what he terms; "Pointillism" - using dots to create images of compelling appeal.  

Walking me through a museum of his collection, Sami explains that his works portray Ghanaian culture and African liberation from neo-colonialism.

Information sharing, he says, has been "a tool he has adopted to transfer knowledge on basic business modules and patent tools to young Ghanaian artists."

Unlike Sami Bentil, who discovered his talent at a tender stage, Pensioner and Businessman, Kweku Gyamfi felt his artistic juices splash on his canvas.

His closet, stocked with colorful collections of his work, is evidential of an improvement in his craft as a pensioner.  Kweku Gyamfi had had his work displayed at international exhibitions, with the latest in Brooklyn, New York.

" I am a testimony to the fact that arts are embracing of the maestro and the beginner. I started with oil painting and loved it. My artwork reflects individual experiences in life through these paints," Kweku Gyamfi told me, as he steadily stroked his canvass with a brush - bringing to life "a free black African woman".

For Ghana to become a net exporter of fine arts and crafts, Kweku Gyamfi calls for "authenticity and attention to detail" as consumers of arts are mostly meticulous and reflective with an instinctive appreciation of the arts."

Connecting with young and amateur artists through social media has been a mission Gyamfi is embarking upon.  

"I share the skills I have with young artists eager to learn. I feel the responsibility of transferring this knowledge - be it in workshops, mentoring, or exhibitions.

The Handicraft industry in Ghana contributed just 0.46% to the 2018 non-traditional exports (a little above $12 million) but inched up to 0.5% to $14,524,610 in 2019).

The Global Arts and Crafts industry is ripe with bright prospects despite the scourge of the Coronavirus pandemic.

However, in Ghana, players in the sector face enormous capacity and microeconomic difficulties integrating effectively into the export market.