Is it possible to reverse the financial decline of celebrities from stardom to solicitation?

When we go back to late 2021 or early 2022, Ghanaian entertainment news sites were ablaze with reports of Ghanaian star Psalm Adjeteyfio pleading with people to aid him with a number of health issues he was facing.

He received significant financial donations from hundreds of Ghanaians who came out to support him, but sadly, he passed away.

In 2024, highlife artist Kwabena Kwakye Kabobo, also known as K.K. Kabobo, was in the headlines due to his liver ailment and his request for assistance.

The same thing happened again, with loads of assistance coming in, but he also died.

Not just these two; Moesha Budong, Yolo resident John Peasah, and several more celebrities and figures in the entertainment sector have been in the headlines lately pleading with the people for help with one issue or another.

And as of late, seasoned gospel performer Yaw Sarpong is dealing with stroke-related issues.

Not only has Ghana seen this, but Nigeria has also seen a good number of its superstars post on social media pleading for help with medical issues.

The issue that comes up is that the majority of these celebrities are highly well-known, and although reality often seems to contradict the rules of show business, the more well-known someone is, the more money they should have.

What then transpired?

There are a lot of hypotheses that could be proposed, like poor management, little actual income, unsuccessful investments, health issues depleting their savings, etc.

However, let’s move on to the remedies rather than the causes.

In 2023, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) reported that the program only provides coverage to 0.85% of the 6.7 million Ghanaian workers employed in the informal sector.

Most of the time, the creative arts industry, particularly that of unpaid entertainers, falls under this informal sector.

As a result, when they finally retire, there will be no pensions, no payments, and no guarantees.

It’s possible that the younger generation of artists and performers is making business decisions based on their own financial security.

However, what if there was a law establishing a fund for artists to guarantee they would have access to the money they need in the event of a medical emergency?

What if royalties and taxes on the creative industry were used to supplement donations to this fund?

What if the organizations that oversee the creative industries were better equipped to protect these individuals and provide them the financial literacy they need so that in the ensuing decades, we do not see their faces on television pleading for help?

But all of them are speculative situations. The truth is that these solutions are easier said than done; to ensure a smooth retirement or, at the very least, to enroll creatives in SSNIT, it would take a collaborative effort from all stakeholders, including the government and members of the general public. A separate fund would need to be established for creatives to contribute to.

Either way, we can only hope that eventually, these requests will stop as we dig into our pockets to add whatever small amount we can to the mobile money wallets set up to generate money for the kidney, liver, heart, testicles, etc. of our beloved star.