Ghanaian singer and songwriter Akwaboah has opened up about the financial challenges of songwriting in Ghana, revealing how industry practices have affected his earnings despite producing hit songs.

Speaking in an interview on Angel FM on April 7, 2026, the musician noted that a more structured system in the music industry could have allowed him to fully benefit from his songwriting talent.

According to Akwaboah, the lack of proper systems makes it difficult for songwriters to earn significantly, especially when working with colleagues.

“I’m sure that if there’s a system that works in Ghana’s music industry, maybe I would have loved to write for people more,” he said.

He explained that, unlike in foreign markets where artistes can earn from both singing and songwriting, the Ghanaian space does not offer the same financial rewards.

“Abroad, there are other artistes who write music for their fellow artistes. As they still release their own songs too, meaning they’re making money from both singing and writing,” he stated.

Akwaboah further highlighted what he described as an unspoken `code’ within the industry, where artistes often do not charge each other for collaborations or songwriting services.

“Ghana’s industry is not that stable, so if you’re writing for someone, the money is not much, especially if it’s your fellow artiste, you can charge the person. It’s a code in the industry,’ he explained.

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He said the same principle applies to collaborations, making it difficult for artistes to monetise their craft fully.

“There’s no way I want to feature an artiste and the artiste would charge an amount of money before being on the song,” he said.

Reflecting on his career, Akwaboah stated that he could have amassed significant wealth if not for these limitations, considering the success of songs he has written for others.

“I would have been a millionaire by now if not for the code within the industry because most of the songs I wrote for people are hits,” he disclosed.

He also noted that his initial motivation for writing songs for others was not financial but to prove his talent and support artistes who struggled with songwriting.

“When I first started writing for people, the idea was just to show that if you’re artiste and you can’t write songs, it’s not a big deal. That’s why we are there, so if the artistes need songs, we are available,” he shared.

According to him, his first songwriting effort turned out to be a hit, and the success continued with subsequent works, solidifying his reputation as a talented songwriter.

“From the beginning, I wanted to prove that I’m a good songwriter. I didn’t think of the business aspect of it. The first song I wrote for someone was a hit and before I realized, all the subsequent ones too were all hits,” he added.

FG/EB

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