Day: March 18, 2024

The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Business School has launched the GIMPA Business School Alumni Network (GiBSAN) to mobilise students and graduates for professional growth, leadership and excellence.

Launched in the GIMPA GB Auditorium, GiBSAN has the slogan: ‘Connecting for Impact’.

The occasion also served as a homecoming to reunite the alumni and celebrate their fortunes and outstanding achievements.

Professor Ebenezer Adaku, Acting Dean, GIMPA Business School, said the School aimed at nurturing transformational leaders for the nation and the globe, adding that, forming partnership with the alumni was a strategic way to achieve that goal.

GiBSAN, he said, would foster lifelong learning by offering bespoke training programmes, conferences, faculty consultations, dissemination of annual research outputs, and many more.

He said doing so would enable the alumni to stay up to date on current trends in business and management to thrive in today’s disruptive environment.

He
said by leveraging the rare competences and exposure of the School’s alumni, ‘specific arrangements such as professional transition programmes, career counselling and guidance, mentoring, and GIMPA Business School Job Dashboard would be pursued to support the alumni so as to configure and supercharge their careers and businesses.’

GiBSAN would also create the avenue for networking through the School’s information hub, local and diasporan alumni communities and social media platforms, Prof Adaku noted.

He added that GiBSAN would serve as a platform for members to give back through volunteering and donations to help develop future leaders of tomorrow’s businesses and society and to perpetuate the cycle of excellence.

Professor Samuel K. Bonsu, the Rector of GIMPA, said the Institute, as part of its strategic plan, sought to rekindle old relationships and strengthen existing ones.

The establishment of GiBSAN, he said, was, therefore, in the right direction towards achieving GIMPA’s vision.

‘The alumni give
GIMPA its glory. We do not exist without you,’ he said, adding that more schools within the Institute would soon be launching their alumni networks.

Prof Bonsu urged GiBSAN members to serve as bridge across generations of students and be the spirit of GIMPA by connecting with other alumni.

He encouraged the alumni to contribute generously towards the GIMPA Endowment Fund to help alleviate the financial challenges of the Institute and its less privileged students.

Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor, the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), who is an alumnus of the GIMPA Business School, said he owed much to the Institute, adding that, ‘I am where I am today due to the excellent coaching, I received from GIMPA.

‘I refer to GIMPA as my home because I spent most of my tertiary life here, so I am emotionally attached to this higher institution of excellence,’ Mr Dwumfuor said.

He said GiBSAN had much to offer Ghanaians in terms of ideas and opportunities, adding that, ‘I am also proud to be part of t
he initiative as I see it as an opportunity to give back to my alma mater.’

Mr Dwumfuor assured that the GJA was ready to collaborate with GIMPA to ensure that the objectives for setting up GiBSAN were achieved.

As part of the launch, there was a panel discussion on the theme: ‘Building Partnerships for Business and Leadership Excellence’.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Madam Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Communications Minister, Monday, attributed the multiple undersea cable disruptions, which affected mobile and fixed data services nationwide to a force majeure.

A force majeure means an act of God.

She said the disruptions, which occurred on March 14, might have been caused by an under sea landslide in the Ivory Coast and Senegal.

The Mobile networks affected in Ghana are MTN and Telecel.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful gave the explanation on the floor of the House following a request by Mr Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu; and Madam Sarah AdwoaSafo, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Dome-Kwabenya, for the Minister to brief the House on the disruptions in mobile and fixed data services nationwide.

The Minister said in the early hours of 14th March, the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation and the National Communications Authority (NCA) were notified of internet disruptions on the Telecel Network, while MTN
also alerted them that they were also experiencing a major loss of internet service.

She noted that investigations revealed that there had been multiple undersea cable disruptions that had affected Mobile Data and Fixed Data services nationwide on MTN and Telecel.

However, the AT network has not experienced any disruption.

She said the internet outage was deeply concerning, and had impacted several other countries across west Africa.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said the country had six subsea cables with the first submarine fibre cable landed in Ghana by the SAT-3 consortium, which the Government of Ghana, through Ghana Telecom, was a member.

Until October 2023 Ghana had five Submarine Cable Providers -SAT-3, MainOne, WASS, Glo and ACE. Another cable from the Facebook/Meta led 2Africa consortium landed in November, 2023, but it would be live in the fourth quarter this year.

‘For clarity, this incident might have been caused by a landslide that had wiped out most of the fibre cables between Ghana and Europe that ha
d a landing station here,’ she stated.

She said a separate event in the Red Sea had cut fibres going around the other direction from Africa to Europe.

She explained that by chance, there were two cables that had been unaffected – Google/Equiano cable and Angola to Brazil cables.

Both could be reached by the current cable’s consortiums, but following the opposite direction.

However, these could not support the lost capacity with the same quality levels, and the same latency within a reasonable time.

On Risk Mitigating Measures by the NCA, the Minister said in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the National Communications Authority (NCA) engaged the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to assess their capacities and redundancies to submarine cable providers and ensure that they had the necessary environment to provide reliable services to all subscribers.

The NCA realised that the MNOs and Broadband Wireless Access Providers were connected to only one or two submarine cab
le providers.

In order to mitigate any risk from a national emergency point of view, the NCA issued directives to the MNOs and Surfline, in a letter dated 30th April, 2020, that the service providers should establish and maintain physical cable connections to at least three submarine cable providers operating in Ghana.

The Minister said the NCA also indicated in the directives that all redundant cable connections should be capable of being lighted within 24 hours in the event of an outage on their primary links, adding that all the MNOs complied.

On the way forward, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said all MNOs and ISPs would be required to establish connectivity with other sub marine cable providers that were not present in Ghana.

She mentioned that all international services providers should be obliged to connect additional undersea cables, satellite options, and terrestrial links through neighbouring countries.

That mixed infrastructure with adequate capacity was required to provide redundancy to Ghana’s internation
al connectivity.

She said the Government had also ensured that the national datacentre and internet gateway had redundancy and were functioning.

‘We will endeavour to seek and implement forward looking measures that will safeguard the use of and our adoption of digital solutions,’ Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said.

‘During this hard time of limited access to the internet we hope we can count on the patience and resilience of our people as we work assiduously to weather the storm. This too shall pass. It is possible!’

Meanwhile, the official statement issued Saturday by the NCA on the Internet disruptions said it would take some five weeks to fully restore normalcy in the operations.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Young Urban Women’s Movement (YUWM), an offshoot of Action-Aid Ghana, has called on the government to invest in women to accelerate the country’s development.

The call was made at an event to commemorate International Women’s Day.

The theme for the event was, ‘Inspire Inclusion, Invest in Women’.

While advising the government to invest in women, Patricia Acquah, Public Relations Officer, YUWM, who spoke to the GNA on the sidelines of the event, also advised young women in Ghana to grab opportunities to lead in every aspect of life.

‘Women should not think that they are not qualified. They should not push the men to go for it and tell themselves that they cannot do it. They should have the spirit of I can do and believe in themselves,’ she said.

Ms Acquah added that young ladies should also take every training opportunity to better themselves so that they could take higher positions in future.

Madam Salome Awuah Yeboah, Girl Child Education Officer, Ghana Education Service, Amasaman District, who was
the guest speaker, advised parents to make their children’s education a priority.

Madam Helen Quansah, Former Chairperson, YUWM, who moderated the programme said that women should see themselves as tools for development.

She advised women to take part in decision making activities in the church, homes, workplace and at the national scene.

Madam Vera Anzagira, Greater Accra, Volta and Oti Regional Programmes Manager, Action Aid Ghana, said the country must create the enabling environment for every woman to use her potential to the fullest.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, has updated Parliament on the status of the Malian Ambassador’s residence, which was among the structures demolished to pave way for the National Cathedral project at Ridge.

The Minister said there was an existing reciprocal exchange residential property between the governments of Ghana and Mali; indicating that the Government of Mali used the acquired building in Accra as the residence of the Ambassador.

Madam Botchwey made the disclosure in her response to a question by Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, who wanted to know if the relocation of the Malian Ambassador’s residence had been completed and how much it costed the Ghanaian taxpayer.

The Minister said since the Malian Embassy intended to redevelop the residency with approval from its Government, the Embassy decided to relocate the Ambassador to a new residence.

Eventually, the buildin
g was unoccupied and became dilapidated, she said.

‘While waiting for a response from their Capital for the redevelopment of the building, the Office of the President of the Republic issued a directive, which resulted in the demarcation of the land for the construction of the National Cathedral,’ she said.

‘The Government was, therefore, obliged to compensate the Embassy of Mali by facilitating the allocation of a piece of land at the Airport Residential Area in Accra as a replacement.’

The Malian Embassy paid for the administrative fees and other charges to the tune of GHS33,800.00 to the Lands Commission, Madam Botchwey said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ministry of National Security has held a stakeholders’ forum to collate inputs towards the review of the National Framework for Countering and Preventing Violent Extremism and Terrorism.

The three-day forum, which ended in Tamale with participants drawn from public institutions and civil society organisations in the Northern Region, was organised with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Australia and Germany.

The forum in Tamale was the first in a series of similar to be held in other regions of the country.

Mr Emmanuel Dadzie, Technical Director, National Security, speaking during the forum, said the review would shape the path of change for ‘Our security architecture placing us in a better position to secure the State against the threat of terrorism and violent extremism that was wreaking havoc in countries across the Sahel region and West Africa.’

Given that terrorism and violent extremism remain a major security threat confronting countries and Ghana’s location in a reg
ion currently designated as the epicentre of terrorism in the world, the Ministry of National Security in 2019, led the production of Ghana’s National Framework for Countering and Preventing Violent Extremism and Terrorism.

Since its launch in 2019, the National Framework for Countering and Preventing Violent Extremism and Terrorism has proven to be a useful document in enhancing the country’s counter-terrorism efforts.

However, the review of the document has become imperative for a number of reasons including the fact that the terrorist threat landscape in the West African region has undergone a significant evolution since the launch of the Framework.

Mr Dadzie said ‘At the time of the launch of the Framework, terrorist activities were largely concentrated in the Sahel region. Analysts, however, had begun observing a gradual southward drift of the threat from the Sahel region to Coastal West African States along the Gulf of Guinea.’

He said although the country had so far not recorded a terrorist attack,
the intensification of attacks in neighbouring countries particularly in areas proximal to Ghana’s northern frontier, shed ample light on the heightened risk for Ghana.

He said, ‘Against this backdrop, we cannot and should not be comfortable relying on a Framework, which was drawn at a time that the threat was relatively distant from our borders.’

Mr Dadzie said ‘This review process, therefore, affords us a golden opportunity to evaluate our successes and failures, and develop a deeper understanding of the robust measures that need to be taken going forward.’

Mr Sukhrob Khoshmukhamedov, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Ghana, pledged the commitment of UNDP to supporting the country’s efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism saying, ‘We consider youth and women as key stakeholders in development particularly through their role in preventing conflicts and promoting peace in Ghana.’

He said ‘This Framework should not overlook the critical economic, political, and social measures we need to engi
neer in order to assist in the fight against terrorism’ adding ‘Addressing issues of inequality, marginalisation of groups, access to education and health care, stimulating economic development in deprived communities, promoting inter-communal dialogue, enhancing religious tolerance, de-emphasising ethnic divisions and chieftaincy conflicts – these are necessary measures to the arsenal of security and intelligence resources needed.’

He said ‘In this regard, the UNDP stands ready to support Ghana in implementing these critical measures. UNDP will provide technical expertise, capacity-building support, and partnerships to address the underlying drivers of extremism.’

Madam Penny Dannis, Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner to Ghana expressed confidence that the review would lead to ‘A robust Framework that better positions Ghana to confront the security challenges she faces while fostering strong and inclusive communities, who find themselves at the forefront of the threat.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ms Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF), says the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be transformative to African economies.

Doing so, Ms Georgieva said, would solve the age-long low productivity and labour market issues faced by African countries.

She has, therefore, encouraged African governments to increase their readiness to take advantage of the numerous opportunities offered by AI, and build systems to minimise risks and ethical issues, and ensure inclusion in all aspects of human life.

Ms Georgieva said this at a conference jointly organised by the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, and the IMF, on Monday, March 18, in Accra.

It was on the theme: ‘AI as a catalyst to transforming economies in Sub-Saharan Africa’.

‘Artificial Intelligence is our best chance to overcome the long-term low productivity. When we think of what can lift productivity, by far, our best chance is in investing in green transition and in the ado
ption of AI,’ she said.

‘It (AI) can be the big bang that allows us to live longer, healthier, better educated, [and] more productive lives. We face, urgently, the necessity to embrace AI, and make the best out of it,’ the IMF Managing Director said.

A study by the IMF has indicated that while some 60 per cent of jobs in advanced economies would be impacted by AI, in emerging markets, it is 40 per cent, and that of low-income countries would be 26 per cent.

Speaking to the figures, Ms Sh Georgieva said it was important for African economies to build more digital infrastructure, invest in human capital, adopt AI innovations that fit into entrepreneurship, and have a strong regulatory framework.

Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Finance Minister, said AI was said to contribute up to US$15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, of which US$1.2 trillion could be generated in Africa.

That, he said would make AI one of the biggest economic opportunities available to the African Continent, leading to fundamental change
s in the way people lived, worked, and related to one another thanks to data-driven algorithm.

To African governments, Mr Amin Adam said, ‘Quite frankly, there is no time to wait; given the exigencies of the moment, we cannot afford to miss out on the opportunities that AI present to make a significant leap toward achieving long-term economic sustainability and resilience.’

On the costs involved in embracing AI solutions, he said it would require some US$100 billion by 2030 to improve internet access and digital infrastructure, and US$1bn over the next five years in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education to train 2.5 million more engineers.

The Minister stated that Ghana, and other African countries were looking to collaborate with development partners across the world to provide funding, technical and implementation support for AI projects and the development of national AI strategies tailored to Africa’s unique needs.

He encouraged governments, the private sector, development
partners and academia, to continue to prioritise working together.

That Dr Amin Adam said would ‘ensure we unlock an independent, wealthy future for Africa where technology removes the obstacles that preclude our people, and indeed our Nations from realising their potential.’

Mad Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, noted that Ghana had developed a digitised national identity card (Ghana card), digital addressing system, and extended fibre connectivity across the country.

She, however, said that there was the need to invest more to provide connectivity in Africa by building resilient systems through exploring a mix of digital connectivity options, including affordable satellite infrastructure.

On regulatory readiness, the Communications and Digitalisation Minister stated that Ghana had developed a draft AI policy and ethics strategy to leverage opportunities and reduce adverse effects.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, Shri Manish Gupta, has asked the government to work with India to empower women in both countries.

He noted that when women were empowered, families and nations benefited as well, underscoring the need to prioritise women’s empowerment.

‘…If you empower women, you empower families and empower the nation as well,’ he said.

Mr Gupta made the call during an event organised by the High Commission to mark International Women’s Day.

Dr Angela Lusigi, UNDP Representation in Ghana, Madam Dorcas Coker-Appiah, Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Center, and Vanisha Daryanani, President of Indian Women Association in Ghana, were among the women who attended the event.

Others included Madam Dakoa Newman, Member of Parliament (MP) for Okaikwei South, Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, MP for Ketu South, Madam Zenator Agyemang Rawlings, MP for Korle Klottey, and Madam Elizabeth Sackey, Mayor of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly.

Mr Gupta elaborated on the importance of empowerin
g women, stating that India had made progress in empowering women to hold leadership positions in politics, academics, and other areas of life.

He said women had brought about accountability and transparency in India’s city councils, saying while progress had been slow, it was moving in the right direction, stressing the need for partnership to empower more women.

Dr. Angela Lusigi, UNDP Representative in Ghana, noted that women were empowered in only a few domains, notably politics, while others were neglected.

She said that women should have equal access to the labour market, assume leadership roles in both the public and private sectors, participate in peacekeeping, and have access to natural resources.

Madam Dorcas Coker-Appiah of the Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Center stated that Ghana had multiple policies that promoted gender equality, but their implementation had impeded progress.

To close that gap, she said the government must prioritise gender issues by allocating funds to imp
lement the policies it had made.

Dr. Zenator Agyeman-Rawlings noted that the government’s failure to put the affirmative action bill into law was the reason for its inability to achieve huge strides in gender equity.

She noted that the law would provide punishment for those who violated it and a check on those in charge of enforcing it.

Source: Ghana News Agency