Kirani Ayat and Ghana Tourism Authority reach settlement

The development was confirmed in a joint statement on Monday, about a month after the rapper took to Twitter to call out President Nana Akufo-Addo for sharing a tourism promotional video featuring scenes from the music video for his single ‘Guda’ on his official Twitter handle without the artist’s permission.

The GTA, which has admitted to using the visuals extensively since 2019 for the production of various content promoting tourism in the country, after initially insisting that the footage was procured legally from a creative agency named SAMSAL Company Ltd in 2019, says it is “pleased to announce that the parties have reached an amicable agreement in settlement.”

While the statement does not specify what the agreement entails, it promises that “moving forward, Ayat and GTA will collaborate on a number of projects aimed at showcasing Ghana, our beautiful landscapes, and exciting talents to the world.”

Kirani Ayat, who was seeking financial compensation from the GTA, expressed his appreciation for “all the support from the good people of Ghana throughout this process.”

Since Ayat took on the GTA, other musicians have also cited the government body for unauthorised use of their content in the same promotional video, notably Afropop singer Fuse ODG who decried a “lack of respect and understanding of intellectual property.”