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The Adinkra Poetry Prize 2024 calls for poetic expressions on culture, politics, and change
In a celebration of Ghanaian culture and heritage, The Adinkra Poetry Prize is excited to announce its call for poetry submissions that engage with three selected Adinkra symbols out of the over 200 existing symbols.
The focus for this year includes Fihankra, Nkyinkyim, and Mate Masie. Esteemed preliminary judges for this edition are Emma Ofosua, Apiorkor, and Ko-jo Cue. The head judge for the prize is Professor Esi Sutherland-Addy.
As we approach the upcoming election year, The Adinkra Poetry Prize invites interested people to offer words that surprise, excite, frustrate, and incite change.
They are looking for poetry that serves as a song for change, a chant, a prayer, a potential new national anthem, or guidelines to hold Ghanaians accountable to the cause of the nation and its citizens, “exploring the complexities of love or criticism for our relationship with our beloved nation.”
Writers are encouraged to submit their poetic expressions, with each poem responding to or thoughtfully engaging with the chosen Adinkra symbols within the context of Ghana’s current political and socio-economic landscape.
The competition is open to writers aged 18 and above who are Ghanaian citizens currently residing in Ghana.
The 2024 Adinkra Poetry Prize is generously supported by the Center for Humanities at the University of New Hampshire, the Mellon Mays Foundation, and the All African Women Poetry Festival.
For the prizes, winners in each category will receive $200, and three (3) Finalists will be awarded $70.
Finalists and winners will be officially announced in May 2023 and will be invited to an awards ceremony at the prestigious All African Women Poetry Festival.
Additionally, finalists will also have the opportunity to apply for the WaterMill Residency. Selected submissions will be considered for publication in a digital anthology.
For the written submissions, the writers will be asked to transcribe their work for publication.
Applicants should note that the committee reserves the right to withhold awards based on the quality of submissions.
As part of the submission guidelines, an applicant is expected to submit a maximum of three (3) poems per submission, with each poem directly or indirectly identifying the chosen Adinkra symbol, and limit one submission per person; additional submissions will not be considered.
Poems may vary in length, style, or subject but must incorporate the chosen Adinkra symbol and its meaning.
Organisers have urged participants to exclude any identifying information from the submission document and submit unpublished poems only.
“Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please inform us if your work is selected elsewhere.For any inquiries or questions, please email [adinkrapoetryprize@gmail.com].
Submission Guidelines (Spoken Word): Submit a recorded poem (video) not exceeding 1 minute, with each poem identifying the chosen Adinkra symbol you are responding to. Avoid including your name in the recorded video,” they added.
Deadline for submission is February 15, 2024.
The Adinkra Poetry Prize eagerly awaits thought-provoking and inspirational poetry submissions in celebrating Ghana’s rich cultural heritage through the power of words, and let your voice be heard as we shape the future of our nation together.
The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.
The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.
It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.
The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.
This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).
On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.
There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.
Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.
The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.
As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.
The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.
Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.
On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.
Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”
The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.
Source – G-NEXID
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, signed five bills including three amendment bills passed by Parliament into law.
They are: Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In a brief remark after assenting to the bills, President Mahama explained that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, scraps the Office of Minister of National Security and frees the President’s to appoint any Minister to supervise the security agencies.
He said it also reverses the name of the office of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to the original name, Bureau of National Intelligence, (BNI).
This the President said, addresses the confusion between that security agency and a well-known Ghanaian financial institution, the National Investment Bank.
President Mahama also noted that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishes another University in the Eastern Region, at Bonsu, with three campuses – the main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region, with the second campus to be cited at Ohawu in the Oti Region.
The third, the Presdient assed will be located at Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
Touching on the Amendment to the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act, the President said, “As you’re aware, the act was amended to increase it from 1% to 3%, and so this act reduces it again. That is the levy on mining companies. It reduces it again to 1%, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties.”
He also spoke to the passage of the Government Education Regulatory Bodies Amendment Act, emphasising that amends Act 1023 to grant greater flexibility to private tertiary institutions and the option to Charter.
The Ghana Deposit Protection Amendment Act, the President concluded, is an amendment to an original act that was supposed to guarantee deposits held in commercial banks or financial institutions.
It basically expands protection to include mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, ensuring a wider scope of digital financial assets are secured.
The signing ceremony, was witnessed by the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Senior Presidential Advisor and a Special Aide to the President, Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, and the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
