Thunder has struck and killed a 17-year-old male student of the Sokode Senior High School in the Volta Region. The incident which happened near the regional capital, Ho, during heavy rain in the late hours of Monday, killed the victim who has been identified as Emmanuel Dorli. Emmanuel was said to be in the company of two of his female colleague students who were also affected and are currently being attended to at the Ho Teaching Hospital. According to eyewitnesses, the late Emmanuel who was hawking coconut by the roadside as he normally does after school hours and on weekends when the lightning struck. The witnesses described the thunder as very loud, believing it was spiritual. “These things are spiritual and they happen only when someone is behind it and the victim might have had issues with someone who decided to deal with him the spiritual way,” one resident said. Some residents alleged that prior to the incident, the deceased had a strange call from a competitor in the coconut business, warning him to stop competing with him in the business. The mother of the deceased, narrating the incident, said her son was selling coconut as usual at the normal spot after school while she was at work only for someone to call her to inform her of the bad news. The body of the deceased, according to tradition, may have to remain at the spot until traditional prayers are offered before it can be taken to the mortuary. The police are yet to make a comment on the issue. Story by: Ivy Setordjie

The Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, says the Minority in Parliament will vigorously oppose the Agyapa Minerals Royalty deal should it be reintroduced in the Mid-Year Budget Review. According to him, the government has failed, since the time the deal was withdrawn from Parliament, to properly engage with stakeholders as well as the Minority side in order to build consensus for approval. He also noted that the government over the years has failed to build trust with both the Minority and the people of Ghana in terms of their management of state finances thus, it will be injurious for the state for such a deal to be approved. Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express Monday, he said, “I can bet you that our opposition to Agyapa is bigger than our opposition to e-levy. And I will not sit here and tell you our strategy, but believe me, if that attempt is made, they won’t find it easy.” “I just want them to appreciate one thing; you know we fought to get it removed from the budget, so one it’s not in the budget, well someone will say they may reintroduce it in the Mid-Year Budget Review. I won’t sit here and tell you what we’re going to do. “They will get a fearless and most resistant ever had in any Parliament if an attempt is made to bring this thing, believe me. I’m not sending any threat, I’m only telling you that look any attempt to think that you can just come with Agyapa into this house, you should prepare for the worst,” he added. The Asawase MP further bemoaned the silence of opinion leaders on the matter. According to him, their failure to speak on the ills of the deal has left the Minority with no other option than to employ every tactic possible to ensure the Agyapa deal is not passed. “Because you see we’ve come to realize that – I’m sorry to say this – a lot of the elderly so-called opinion leaders in our country, everybody has gone dead silent. Because of their huge and super loud silence it leaves us with no other option than to take the fight and prevent Agyapa from ever happening into our own hands,” he said. Muntaka Mubarak added that regardless of the revision the government claims it has done to the Agyapa deal, as long as the deal is still referred to as ‘Agyapa’ it shall be opposed. “If they want anything about our minerals, one change the name, two, let it go through the vigorous process of parliament where people can come, whether in the mining sector, nananom, people come give their view, so that Parliament can own that we can do this,” he suggested Source: Myjoyonline.com

Some yet-to-be-identified gunmen have reportedly kidnapped the Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Samuel Kanu-Uche. The cleric was kidnapped alongside Rt. Rev. Dennis Mark, the Methodist Bishop of Owerri, and the Prelate’s Chaplain on Sunday. They were kidnapped along Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State. The Police Public Relations Officer, Abia State Command, Geoffrey Ogbonna, confirmed the abduction to one of our correspondents. “The incident is quite unfortunate and the Abia State Police Command has put in place efforts to ensure that he is rescued alongside others and where possible, to arrest the people behind this dastardly act. Source:dailyguide

To mark the celebration of Menstrual Hygiene Day2022, Renel Ghana Foundation in collaboration with Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) , Scale Up Future, GreaterAccra Regional Youth Network and Girls Not Brides have distributed sanitary pads to some female students of Gorm D/A School at Ada-East District. As part of the program, health personnel present educated the students, on what menstruation is, what to do when menstruating, personal hygiene tips during menstruation, and further demonstrated to them the different types of sanitary towels and how to put them on. The health personnel also encouraged the males to support and encourage the girls when they are in their periods and not stigmatize them. Mr Nelson Richardson-Mandela who spoke on behalf of all partners called on Government to end the longstanding fiscal violence perpetrated by taxes on menstruation against adolescent girls and women in Ghana. The Government of Ghana presently charges a luxury tax of 20% and an additional 12.5% VAT on menstrual pads. "The fact that this tax is directly targeted at females for a natural occurrence in their reproductive process they have no choice or control over makes the tax highly unjust and immoral. The choice of whether to keep clean and safe or not is one that a state should never have to present to its people, particularly to the vulnerable sections of society." he added. "A cost of Sanitary pad today equals 1Litre of fuel in Ghana today. The taxes on menstrual pads have made the product very expensive and inaccessible to many low-income households who must choose between the pads and competing needs. Resulting in many young girls from such households choosing unhygienic and unsafe methods to maintain themselves during their monthly menstruation periods" "The stains or smell from these methods means the affected girls self-isolate from peers until their menstruation periods end. This leads to loss of valuable contact hours in classrooms and dropping out from schools in some cases for girls, while further pushing females into poverty and strengthening the longstanding association of the female face with poverty. Ghana can and should follow the example of Kenya which cancelled taxes on menstrual pads as far back as 2004 and which has since been budgeting about 3M USD per year to distribute free sanitary pads in low-income communities. Since then, Rwanda and South Africa have also cancelled menstrual taxes." Administrative and Finance Officer, GNECC, Ivy Odurah Denkyira called on government and other stakeholders to support schools with hygiene facilities most especially toilets and changing rooms for girls. She also thanked all our donors and the district for a successful program. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Minister of Health, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has praised Ghana for making significant improvements in the control of tobacco use. According to him, this was made possible following the introduction of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products which came into force in January 2022. In a statement sighted by Thinknewsonline.com, the Health Minister said "Ghana has made significant improvements in the control of tobacco use. This includes the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products which came into force in January 2022, inclusion of tobacco specific provisions in the Public Health Act, 2012, passage of the Tobacco" "Control Regulations, 2016 (L.I 2247), the introduction of graphic health warnings, continuous enforcement of tobacco control measures and the recently launched Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) 2030 project.The selection of Ghana as the Phase Three 2030 project country of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) means the country will among others receive financial and technical support to develop and implement a comprehensive national tobacco control strategy" The Health Minister reiterated that the WNTD 2022 campaign calls on government and policymakers to step up legislation, including implementing and strengthening existing schemes to make producers responsible for the environmental and economic costs of dealing with tobacco waste products. "As a nation, we remain committed to close the gaps in tobacco control and are resolute that our vision of a tobacco free society is closer than ever" Thinknewsonline.com has gathered that globally, tobacco kills more than 8 million people annually. More than 7 million of these deaths are from direct tobacco use and around 1.2 million are due to non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. Tobacco is harmful, not only to humans but to animals, plants and nature as a whole. The released of noxious chemicals present in tobacco smoke adds to atmospheric pollution. Globally smoking is known to emit nearly 2.6 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide and 5.2 billion kilograms of methane into the atmosphere each year. The Ministry of Health says it will together with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), World Health Organisation (WHO), Ghana Health Service (GHS) and civil society organisations join in the global campaign against the many ways in which tobacco threatens the environment we live in. The theme for this year's celebration is "Tobacco: Threat to our Environment" Below is a copy of the release: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Ecozoil, a subsidiary of Jospong Group of Companies in partnership with the Ministry of Transport has held a graduation ceremony for some 500 lifeguards at the Eastern Naval Command in Tema. The graduation ceremony forms part of measures of training some youth to save lives of people who ply the Volta Lake. The training of the 500 lifeguards was necessitated by the challenges associated with transportation on the Volta lake. These challenges include absence of life jacket worn by commuters resulting in the lose of lives, consistent overloading of boat, unsanitary condition at the landing sites and lack of safety awareness. Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group, Joseph Siaw Agyepong indicated that the project will help address such challenges and also provide jobs for the youth. He said "The Volta Lake Transport Enhancement Project (VLTEP) was first launched in 2011 under Zoil Services Limited with the mandate to ensure the safety of Passengers along the Volta Lake, to provide life jackets to commuters and improve upon the sanitary conditions of the landing sites. The project contract period elapsed in 2015. After several evaluations, it was renewed in July 2021 and renamed Volta Lake Transport Safety Project with emphasis on the safety of commuters on the Volta Lake" Touching on the several challenges associated with water transportation, he hinted plying the Volta Lake has become quite unattractive for many people. "Among these challenges are, Absence of life jackets for commuters resulting in the loss of lives every now and then, Consistent overloading of boats, Unsanitary conditions of landing sites (piles of refuse heaps along the shores of the lakes) increasing the spread of diseases. Dr. Siaw also mentioned the lack of safety awareness and health education as well as the presence of unemployed youth along the stretch as part of the challenges. "In the light of these challenges, the Volta Lake Transport and Safety Project mainly seeks to employ the services of the youth from communities along the Lake and equip them with the basic skills in water survival and rescue operations to ensure the safety of commuters on the Volta Lake" "It also seeks to maintain cleanliness at the various landing sites, provide safety education to both boat operators and commuters, as well as provide life jackets to commuters to protect them on the lake" Speaking in partnership with Government and Employment Generation, he said "Today, we are going to witness the graduation ceremony of 500 youth drawn from the nine (9) regions identified and selected for the project" He explained that the 470 young men and women had to undertake a six-week training in various subjects. The CEO of Zoomlion Ghana revealed that the project is a Public Private Partnership between the Ministry of Transport and Ecozoil Ghana Limited as well as other stakeholders. It covers nine (9) out of the sixteen (16) regions of Ghana and encompasses forty (40) Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies. Sharing his thoughts on equipments, he said "Honourable Minister, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am happy to announce that, to ensure the effective execution of the above mandate we have acquired technologically advanced equipment to facilitate our work" Mr. Siaw noted that over 150 human lives have been lost since 2011 to date. "I sincerely thank the Minister for Transport,Hon. Kwaku Ofori -Asiamah for making time to be with us" "My special appreciation also goes to the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Issah Yakubu and the Flag Officer Commanding of the Eastern Naval Command, Commodore Emmanuel Ayensu Kwafo, officers and non-commissioned officers of the Eastern Naval Base for training the Life Guards making their facility available for the training course" MR. Siaw charged the Life Guards, to always remember that what they have gone through is to empower them to do their best not just for the commuters but for Ghana." "Do your best and let us all work together to make our water transport safer and the surroundings cleaner to save lives" On his part, the Minister for Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah represented the Akufo-Addo government announced plans to support the inland water transport system. He advised the lifeguards to be committed to ensuring safety on the lake. The Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Issah Yakubu on his part described the project as unprecedented and assured Ghanaians of the readiness of the Navy to ensure safety on Ghana’s territorial water bodies. "The trained life guards are expected to be deployed in Akosombo, Gemeni, Abotuasi and other communities along the Volta Lake" Some of the lifeguards who spoke to Thinknewsonline.com, thanked the leadership of Ecozoil and Zoomlion for such a great opportunity. They promised to save more lives on the Volta lake. Those who distinguished themselves during the training were also presented with special commendation Certificates for the their resilience. Below are some pictures: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Celebrated Ghanaian Gospel Musician, Diana Hopeson is calling on the Akufo-Addo administration to scrap all taxes on sanitary pads. According to her, scraping the huge taxes will help improve its patronage. In an exclusive interview with Thinknewsonline.com in Accra, she said "During my menarche, I was with mixed feelings. Mr. Chairman, I had my menarche at age 12. I felt miserable! In those days, sanitary pads were not common. I discovered Faytex and I used it for a very long time till I couldn’t find them any more on the market. Before then, I heard that women are unclean when they are in their menses. I also heard that in some cultures, such women will not be allowed to cook and do other chores" "My mother told me, when she realized that I was flowing that, now, you are a woman, if you ever go near a man, you will be pregnant! That scared me of going close to men and boys! Even playing close to my age group especially when I am in my menses!" "The menarche was not painful and subsequent ones and throughout my teenage years. My colleagues will complain of cramps and weekends but I was fit and okay until in my late 20s. That was my very active ministry days hence, those days in the month was very difficult for me" "I started to clear my period days to make time for me and my God! I do write a lot during those punier and painful moments of my life. Now, it became the sweet and sour moments. When I got a better understanding of what happens biologically in my body, I stopped taking the pain killers so l will rest. This is because, when I take the medication and the pain is gone, I go working meanwhile, the body needs to rest!" Stressing on conditions that will ensure good menstrual hygiene, she said "A good knowledge of what menstruation is and what it entails by all girls having access to clean hygienic materials to use during that period and having a good place of convenience both in the home and at school. Anywhere teenage girls reside should have a sanitary box with pad to help the teenage girl easily change when in their menses" Madam Hopeson hinted that it is about time, myths about menstruation are cleared. "We are still holy when we menstruate. We need all the support to be granted time to rest when we are in our period. We need to change the negative social norms" She called on school administrators to make sure that their schools have good washrooms so that the menstruating girl can get a good place to change. Madam Hopeson stressed that teachers should accommodate girls in such moments. She appealed to employers to be considerate to the women in the workplace during their menses by allowing them room to rest and recuperate. They should excuse them from stressful schedules or give them day off’s. "It is my prayer that Ghana will be a place where every girl or women is empowered to manage her menstruation safely, ( getting the right materials to use) hygienically, with confidence and without shame,” ( girls, let’s be each other’s keeper)" On her part, the Municipal Director of Education, Krowor, Justina Djaba thanked the organisers for kind gesture. She also appealed to the boys and men to support girls and women when they are menstruating. She appealed to the boys and guys to desist from mocking the girls and ladies when they are in their periods. Founder of the Bonabear Foundation, Ambassador. Bernard Bonarparte said "Menstrual hygiene is key. It is the right if every woman to menstruate, and as long as you want to procreate, there must be menstruation" "We are very committed to this course and we will ensure that it is done" The attitude of mocking women is far gone. Boys must be lovers of these girls who menstruate. We must be there for them. As an NGO, we have been talking about this issue and we think it is time the 20% tax on sanitary pads are scrapped" Below are some pictures Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The Parliament of Ghana, under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Alban S.K Bagbin, will on Tuesday, May 31, host its maiden edition of the Speaker's Seminal Lecture in Accra. According to Parliament, the Lecture seeks to stimulate public debate on the concept of separation of powers in the light of the Supreme Court decision in the Justice Abdulai V Attorney General case, and the applicability of the political question doctrine in Ghana's jurisprudence. In a communique sighted by Thinknewsonline.com, it said "The event will afford key stakeholders and citizens the opportunity to reflect on how Parliament as an institution can navigate these challenges in the current coniext of a hung Parliament by coming up with key recommendations for consideration and implementation" The statement also hinted that the Leadership of Parliament, Members of Parliament, Ministers of State, Former Members of Parliament, and Members of the Diplomatic Community, Representatives of Civil Society Organisations, Political Party Representatives, the Trade Unions, Student Leaders and the Media are expected to grace the event. The statement also mentioned that the keynote address will be delivered by Professor Ernest Kofi Abotsi, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Professional Studies Accra. "The discussants are Thaddeus Sory, Esq a private legal practitioner and Managing Partner, Sory @ Law, Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey, a governance expert and Executive Director of Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEC), and Clara Beri Kassa-Tee, Private Legal Practitioner and Head of Chambers, Kasser Law Firm and lecturer at the University of Ghana Law School" The seminar will be chaired by Nana Kobina Nketsiah V, Paramount Chief of Essikado. The Speaker's Seminal forum is part of the Speaker's initiatives to bring parliament closer to the citizens. The Speaker is also focused on broadening the scope of Parliamentary Legislation reflective of the general composition of the Ghanaian society. It is the Speaker's belief that a Parliament that is representative and reflective of the aspirations of the Ghanaian public will contribute greatly to our resolve to build a buoyant democracy. It will, in the long run, cement the gains that have been made so far and strongly positon parliament to address the many challenges in our democratic dispensation. The statement added that individuals and representatives of organizations who wish to participate in the various discussions are cordially invited. Below is a copy of the release: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Monday May 31st marks a year anniversary when the Human Rights Court of Ghana ruled in favour of Tyrone Marghuy and Oheneba Nkrabeah after they were unlawfully denied admission into the prestigious Achimota School in Ghana. The boys sued the Achimota School Board of Governors, the Minister of Education, Ghana Education Service, and the Attorney General for refusing to enroll them. The school at the time had said the boys had to cut their dreadlocks, failure of which the school said was at variance with its rules and regulations. The Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court presided over by Justice Gifty Agyei Addo on May 31, however, ruled that the fundamental human rights of the two students cannot be limited by the rules of the school. The judge held the view that Achimota School and proponents, including GES and the Attorney General failed to justify why the two students should not be admitted. She premised her position on the fundamental human rights guaranteed under the Constitution of Ghana, 1992, especially the boys’ rights to education and their rights to express their religious freedom. A statement issued by the Coalition for Sovereignty, Integrity and Justice, celebrating the one year anniversary of the court ruling on Monday May 30, said “We recollect the pain out of the discrimination and breach of their human rights when the school felt that their dreadlock was in violation of school rules although the Constitution of Ghana abhors all forms of discrimination, in this case their right to education and right to practice their culture and religion" “The ruling served as a good example in enforcing the laws of Ghana and has awakened many Africans, especially marginalised groups like the Rastafarian community, about their rights and freedoms enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana" It now also serves as a precedence for educational institutions not to repeat the unfortunate decision of the authorities of Achimota School. “A year down the road we wouldn’t want to hear any maltreatment or discrimination of Rastafarians, and as members of the progressive community we expect that marginalised groups would seek more of legal education about their rights, freedoms and obligations under the law. “Education is a fundamental human right and we strongly hope that all parents and the State would ensure that every school going aged person would have the opportunity to achieve his or her life dreams through formal education" “Although, our educational system in Africa is yet to meet the standards of Europe, China and US, it is our expectation that greater investment in education and life long learning would present the African Youth in a liberated position to control and manage the continent’s resources for the betterment of the people" “We cherish the desire to free ourselves from all forms of exploitation and dehumanising conditions and that African leaders have the larger role to play to ensure that it’s youth are given utmost attention and care in order to prepare for the future. While we recognise everybody who helped in this legal case, we would like to specially thank the legal team, the Rastafarian community, Her Ladyship Justice Gifty Adjei Addo for her legal principled position and all the like-minded organisations that mobilised resources to fight the case" “It is our quest to see that the social and economic imbalances that usher the disparities in access to opportunities and wealth-making every where across the world are seen as the challenges that ought to be resolved in this decade and to make our youth part of this struggle of changing the conditions that breed such social and economic imbalances.” Story by: Laud Nartey

The National Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay wants Ghanaians to cut the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, widely known as Sir John, some slack over the content of his purported will. Freddie Blay says it is extremely unfair for anyone to assume the industrious Sir John amassed wealth and acquired assets because he was in political office. “People have misconstrued and exaggerated it. I have known Sir John, he is my contemporary. He is a lawyer, worked at several places and owned some businesses. I don’t know how he acquired his assets, but I will not be in a hurry to say that, he obtained everything within two years. So we shouldn’t use this to judge Sir John”, he emphasised. Freddie Blay was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Western Regional NPP delegates conference at Ampain in the Ellembelle District. Ghanaians are outraged and have taken to social media to express dissatisfaction after a purported will of Sir John emerged from the Fourth Estate with portions of the Achimota forest lands allegedly belonging to him at a time the government is giving portions of the Achimota Forest land. Sir John also disclosed in the will that he also owned land at the Ramsar area in Sakumono in Accra. Touching specifically on the subject matter of the portions of the will that had to do with State lands Sir John owned, Freddie Blay was convinced the acquisition was not made through dubious means. He stressed, that his one-time political fellow will not abuse his power as head of the Forestry Commission to obtain land for himself, adding that, the public should exercise some restraint and allow for thorough investigations before making any conclusions. “Investigations have started as to what it is. Perhaps, it is part of the land that has been given to the [Owoo family] that Sir John might have purchased. It is not that, he as a former CEO of the Forestry Commission has gone to get a place for himself. It is not so.” The NPP Chairman insists it will also be hasty to rope in the larger NPP into the development and cast corruption-related aspersions against its members. “Fortunately, it has come out, and it is part of our drive against corruption. If indeed he acquired them illegally, why not? But people shouldn’t make it look as if because Sir John has bought State lands, all NPP members are crooks, and they have all acquired properties illegally”, Freddie Blay advised. Story by: Akwasi Agyei Annim

The Coalition of NABCO Trainees has sent a strong warning to the Akufo-Addo administration saying it will be embarking on a massive demonstration on June 10 if their demands are not met. According to NABCO, it has been crippled penniless and highly indebted for seven months. In a statement sighted by Thinknewsonline.com, it said "Our situation has been deteriorated and worsened by seven solid months of unpaid stipends since we were directed to remain at the post subjecting us to extreme hardship and privation. Again, our hope in the career exit pathways also got truncated with the undue delays and regardless of government in fulfilling the promise of migrating us into the permanent mainstream works and also resourcing energetic trainees for entrepreneurship" The Coalition says it is also reminding government to make sure it fulfills its promise of giving permanent jobs to the trainees. Below is a copy of the release: Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

The corporate communications practice is an interesting but challenging one. It comes with certain dynamics and intricacies that require the practitioner to be passionate, skillful, experienced, and well-trained. Africa’s corporate communications landscape is to a good extent filled with bright minds. Here are five of West Africa’s finest corporate communications professionals. Sophia Lissah Sophia Kudjordji Lissah is a Ghanaian Corporate Communications’ expert. She started her career as a Journalist at Ghana News Agency. She also built a successful career at the British High Commission, Volta Region Community Water & Sanitation, and UT Holdings. She is currently the Chief Communications Officer at Jospong Group. Sophia Lissah is an alumnus of the University of Ghana, University of Cumbria, and the Ghana Institute of Journalism. She holds professional membership of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Sophia Lissah is the recipient of Ghana’s most promising Public Relations Professional award (2012), and Public Relations Personality of the year award (2019). She was listed as one of the top 20 Marketing and Communications Professionals by InstinctWave in 2019. Tomi Ogunlesi With over 12 years cognate experience in strategic brand building, business development and marketing, Tomi Ogunlesi has established himself as one of West Africa’s finest Corporate Communications’ expert. The Nigerian professional has designed and implemented marketing and communication campaigns that help communicate brand value and move markets, while working for companies like Volcano Advertising, The Jupiter Drawing Room & Partners, Promisador, Bates Cosse, First Bank of Nigeria, amongst others. He is currently the Head of Corporate Communications at Interswitch Group, a position he has been occupying for over five years. Tomi Ogunlesi is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Institute of Management. He is a contributing writer to various marketing and communications’ publications, including BusinessDay, Brand Communication, Interbrand Worldwide’s Brand Channel, and M2 – The Journal for Marketing & Management. Francesca Uriri Francesca Onomarie Uriri is a Nigerian communications professional with expertise in content development, event management, perception and crisis management. She has worked with a number of companies ranging from start-ups to NGOs, and Fortune 500 companies, providing insightful ideas and implementing strategies that help build brands. Francesca is an alumnus of the China Europe International Business School. She sits on the board of the Future Projects, organisers of the Future Awards, Africa. She is the Head of Communications at Uber, West Africa. Esther Amba Cobbah Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah is the Lead Communication Strategist and CEO at Strategic Communications Africa located in Ghana. The Ghanaian woman has worked at a number of organisations, including the Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation, and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation. Her skillfulness in designing and implementing communication strategies that grow brands and strengthen initiatives led to her appointment as the first External Affairs Manager for the West Africa Gas Pipeline Project Consortium (consisting of Shell, Chevron, NNPC, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation and the gas companies of Togo and Benin). The University of Ghana alumnus is a recipient of a number of awards, including the Institute of Public Relations Ghana “PR Personality of the year” (2013), Marketing Woman of the Year award (2012) by the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana, Media Personality of the year (2010) award, amongst others. Esther is a member of the International Communication Association and the International Public Relations Association. Leveraging over 30 years cognate experience in the communications field, Esther Cobbah established the centre for Development and Intercultural Communication (CEDIC), an NGO that seeks to promote and facilitate development through communication. Nkiru Olumide-Ojo Nkiru Olumide-Ojo is a Nigerian Corporate Communications’ professional with expertise in brand marketing, market positioning, and reputation management. The Kingston University alumnus has worked on a broad range of projects and accounts, providing insightful ideas and brilliant communications strategies for a number of companies, including Airtel, Forte Oil, Virgin Nigeria, amongst others. In 2008, Nkiru Olumide-Ojo was recognised as one of the “top 40 females under 40” by Nigerians In Diaspora Professionals (NIPRO). She was also the recipient of the best Corporate Brand Manager Award by Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria in 2017, to name but a few. Nkiru Olumide-Ojo is currently the Regional Head of Marketing and Communications at Standard Bank Group, South and Central Africa. She is a sought-after speaker, inspiring men and women to maximise their potentials. Source: bizwatchnigeria.ng