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Chris Koney urges African Youth to be intentional in creating their personal brand
Marketing Communications Professional and International Relations Specialist, Jonathan Christopher Koney, popularly known in the African media space as Chris Koney has urged young people across the continent to adopt a strategic approach in building their capacities and creating a positive personal brand to scale to the next level of their lives.
The respected communications expert made the call at the second edition of Diplomatic Convocation 2023 held on Friday, November 10, 2023, at the University of Media, Arts and Communication in Accra (UniMAC).
He was part of the Special Guests and Keynote Speakers which included H.E Charles Abani, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Ghana and Hon. Francis-Xavier Sosu, Member of Parliament for the Madina Constituency.
“Personal branding is an intentional and strategic approach in which you define and express your value proposition. It has become more important now than ever to carefully cultivate your public persona and reputation. With social media and online search, you are most likely to greatly expand your potential audience. And be reminded that apart from the rewards, there are equally associated risks”, he elaborated.
He further stated that young people ought to be mindful of their actions and the things they do when they are not in the public’s eye as they are not entirely in control of our personal brand.
“Unfortunately, while we would like to think that we are in complete control of our personal brands, it is often not the case. Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room. It is the amalgamation of the associations, beliefs, feelings, attitudes, and expectations that people collectively hold about you. Your goal should be to ensure that the narrative created about you is accurate, coherent, compelling, and differentiated”, he added.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Koney said “a strong, well-managed personal brand benefits you in several ways and enhances your visibility, particularly among those who matter to you and to the things you hope to accomplish. It can also help you to expand your network and attract new opportunities. And on a deeper level, the process of building one can help you uncover, celebrate, and share the unique abilities you bring to the world.”
Chris Koney has over the last decade been a columnist with the Business and Financial Times newspaper and also made a tremendous impact within Africa’s corporate communications space. Currently, he is responsible for International Cooperation at Ghana’s leading Policy and Development Bank, the Ghana Export–Import Bank (GEXIM).
Ghana Tourism Authority is leading Ghana’s participation at ITB Berlin, which opened in Berlin with a vibrant national pavilion highlighting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, tourism destinations and investment opportunities.
March 5 has been designated as Ghana Day, a special platform to promote Ghana’s languages, cuisine, Kente, festivals and business prospects to the global tourism community. The stand has already drawn strong interest with traditional arts and crafts displays, immersive multimedia presentations and popular Ghanaian snacks.
Seven private-sector players are exhibiting alongside government officials as part of efforts to deepen trade partnerships, expand market access, and attract investment across the hospitality, heritage tourism, ecotourism, and creative arts sectors.
Ahead of the official opening, the Ghana delegation also engaged young Ghanaian investors in Germany in collaboration with V Afrika-Verein and the Ghana Embassy, strengthening diaspora investment linkages and highlighting opportunities within the tourism value chain.
Ghana’s coordinated presence at ITB Berlin 2026 reinforces its strategy to position the country as the Gateway to Africa and a competitive destination for leisure travel and global investment.
The Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh Dompreh, has expressed concern over delays in the release of the District Assemblies Common Fund, warning that the situation is stalling development across the country.
On his facebook page, he described as a matter of urgent national importance, the Minority Chief Whip pointed to what he sees as a growing crisis of unpaid contractors, abandoned projects, and halted infrastructure works in many districts.
He noted that several communities are grappling with half completed schools, unfinished health facilities, abandoned markets, deteriorating roads, and stalled sanitation projects.
According to him, many contractors who have executed projects for district assemblies have not been paid, forcing some construction firms to demobilise from sites while workers lose their jobs.
He stressed that the District Assemblies Common Fund is not a discretionary allocation but a constitutional requirement under Article 252 of the 1992 Constitution, intended to support development at the local level.
In his view, years of delayed releases and accumulated arrears have weakened district development financing and disrupted projects meant to improve living conditions in communities.
He further argued that some payments made in recent years were largely the settlement of old debts rather than funding for new or ongoing projects, a situation he believes has affected contractor confidence and local economic activity.
He described the issue as more than a budgetary challenge, characterising it as a development emergency and a governance concern.
He therefore urged the appropriate authorities to pay outstanding DACF arrears, settle contractors who have completed their work, and ensure that transfers to districts are automatic and predictable.
He maintained that decentralisation can only succeed when district assemblies receive adequate and timely funding to carry out development projects.
He emphasised that stalled projects directly affect ordinary citizens, since they rely on such infrastructure for education, healthcare, transportation, sanitation, and economic activities.
He called for renewed attention to grassroots development, insisting that national progress should not be concentrated only in major cities but extended to all communities.
By: Jacob Aggrey
