President John Dramani Mahama has announced that renovation works on the State Banquet Hall will begin this year.

Delivering the State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Friday, 27 February 2026, he said the renovation forms part of efforts to improve infrastructure for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions.

“Ghana will also begin this year, the renovation of the State Banquet Hall which has been closed for a couple of years,” he said.

The State Banquet Hall, located within the State House complex in Accra, has traditionally hosted high-profile national and international events, including presidential dinners, diplomatic receptions and official ceremonies. The facility has, however, remained closed for some years due to structural and maintenance concerns.

The President also spoke about plans to promote content creation and new media as avenues for job creation. He pledged to serve as an ambassador for tourism, culture and the creative arts, highlighting their potential to drive economic growth.

“In line with our new national effort to bring events and conferences we are going to undertake the refurbishment of the Accra International Conference Centre to restore it to its iconic past as the country’s national and international conference venue. Commencement of work on the facility starts in the next few weeks,” he said.

The President added that the original contractors of the centre had conducted a structural integrity assessment at the request of the Office of the Chief of Staff and made recommendations for the renovation.

In partnership with the private sector, he said work would also begin this year on a befitting convention and creative event centre to position Ghana as West Africa’s leading hub for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, as well as creative events.

The President also disclosed that ₵20 million each had been allocated to the National Film Authority and the Creative Arts Agency as part of the 2026 budget.

Additionally, refurbishment of the National Theatre of Ghana is expected to start in the next few weeks.