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Ghana’s Tourism Minister commends Emirates at grand opening of store in Accra
Ghana’s Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Ketu South Constituency has lauded Emirates for its continued investment in Ghana’s aviation and tourism sectors.
Speaking at the grand opening of the Emirates Travel Store in Accra on Wednesday, the Minister praised the airline’s commitment to service excellence and its growing footprint in the West African market.
The Emirates Travel Store, designed as a one-stop hub, offers a modern and inspiring space where customers can plan their trips, book Emirates experiences, and receive expert travel advice.
The facility aims to enhance convenience for travellers and boost Ghana’s appeal as a regional tourism and business destination.
“I am excited that you have been able to upgrade your service to our country,” Hon. Gomashie said. “Our customers and compatriots, as well as the West African hub as a whole, stand to benefit significantly from this,” she said.
She emphasized the importance of learning from Emirates’ globally recognized service standards, adding that Ghana’s own tourism and hospitality industries must adopt similar best practices.
“Those of us who have had the privilege of flying with many airlines know that the service on Emirates is not what you typically find elsewhere. People don’t just pay for cake, they pay for how it is served. And that’s something Emirates does exceptionally well,” she noted.
Reflecting on recent national efforts to develop Ghana’s aviation industry, the Minister referenced a presidential task force commissioned last week by H.E. President John Dramami Mahama to explore the re-establishment of a national airline.
She remarked that Emirates’ success offers valuable lessons for Ghana as it seeks to build a competitive and service-oriented airline.
“We should not only experience Emirates but learn from the quality of service they provide. If we want to position Ghana as a destination of choice, it’s not just about flying, it’s about how we serve, how we welcome, how we treat others. That warmth is our competitive edge,” Gomashie said.
She also shared a personal reflection, expressing admiration for the Emirates team and encouraging staff to take pride in their roles.
She noted “Working with an airline was something I aspired to as a child, so make it count. Let it reflect in the service we offer not just here, but across all sectors in Ghana.”
Ghana’s Minister of Transport and a member of parliament for Saboba Constituency, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, expressed gratitude to Emirates for its role in connecting Ghana to the global network and investing in local infrastructure.
“Emirates has carried passengers from Ghana to the rest of the world. The comfort and convenience we see here today is not just for workers but for all passengers and business travellers. We hope Ghana, as a growing connectivity hub, can someday play the same role through our own national carrier,” he said.
The launch of the Emirates Travel Store marks another breakthrough in the airline’s engagement with Ghana and reinforces its role as a major partner in the country’s tourism and aviation development.
Management of Emirates, led by Mr. Saood Al Aqili – Country Manager, and Mr. Adil Al-Ghaith – Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Centre both emphasized the airline’s commitment to fostering deliberate and strategic dialogue with the Government of Ghana.
The objective, they noted, is to explore areas of mutual interest where both parties can exchange knowledge, align activities, and work together to support the sustainable growth of Ghana’s aviation and tourism sectors.
Emirates expressed a strong desire to share its global expertise with Ghanaian stakeholders.
This includes initiating collaborative efforts with Ghana’s tourism board to engage more actively with the Arabian travel market.
The airline also proposed the introduction of joint promotional campaigns, the organization of industry workshops, and the involvement of leading international partners to help position Ghana as a key travel destination in the region.
Management reiterated that such partnerships would not only boost tourist arrivals but also contribute meaningfully to building Ghana’s reputation as a premier tourism and connectivity hub in West Africa
The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three men believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting a 42-year-old man in Wapuli, a community in the Yendi District.
The suspects, Haruna Seidu, Amidu Bandi and Osman Bandi allegedly kidnapped the victim and demanded GH¢100,000 from his family for his release.
According to a police statement, officers from the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate were deployed to Wapuli after the incident was reported.
The team conducted surveillance and launched a rescue operation.
On Friday, December 5, 2025, police successfully rescued the victim and arrested the suspects after what was described as an intense exchange of gunfire.
The suspects were later taken into custody and are expected to be arraigned before court.
The Police said the a fourth suspect, who is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the operation, is currently on the run.
They urged the public to provide any information that may lead to his arrest.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong advocates Bold educational reforms at the UK House of Lords during Global Education Summit.
On November 27 2025, global development leaders, policymakers, education experts and civil society organisations gathered at the UK Parliament’s House of Lords for the Global Education Summit hosted by The Baroness Verma of Leicester and organised by the African British Business Forum.
The high-level event focused on the global rise in out-of-school children and the urgent reforms required to deliver equitable, quality education for all.
Among the distinguished Speakers was Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Founder & President of Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) and General Manager of the EIB Network, who delivered a compelling address on the theme “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Out-of-School Children Through Education.”
In her remarks, Nana Yaa who is currently celebrating 26years of Service in the Media, emphasized that education must be viewed as essential national infrastructure, not charity.
Borrowing experiences from her 18 years of empowering women and young people, she presented a strong case on how Africa’s poor educational systems tie into the poor state of its Gender Equality gap.
According to her, unlocking access to education is one of the most effective ways to strengthen economies, empower women and young girls, build resilient communities and drive sustainable development.
She highlighted that each child excluded from learning represents deferred innovation, delayed opportunity and a weakened society.
Nana Yaa noted that the barriers keeping millions of children out of school are complex and interconnected—ranging from poverty and cultural norms to geographical isolation and digital exclusion.
Addressing these challenges, she argued, requires solutions that are equally comprehensive and multi-layered.
Nana Yaa stressed that girls remain disproportionately affected, and investing in girls’ education has a transformative impact across several Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality, poverty reduction, health outcomes and climate resilience.
Nana Yaa advocated for the expansion of flexible, inclusive and community-responsive educational models, such as mobile classrooms for remote and nomadic communities, community learning hubs, after-hours programmes for working children, radio-based instruction for low-tech areas and digital platforms designed to reach learners regardless of connectivity challenges.
She warned that without deliberate action, the digital divide would continue to widen, pushing already vulnerable children further to the margins.
During her presentation, she introduced three major reforms WiSA is seeking Partners for, aimed at reshaping educational access across Africa and beyond.
These are the Digital Bridge for Out-of-School Children (DBOC), the Community Education Stewardship Hubs (CESH) involving local women educators and youth volunteers and the Teen-focused Global Skills Accelerator for Out-of-School Teens (GSA-OT).
She also underscored the need for education systems that support instruction, inclusivity and healing, particularly for children experiencing autism, trauma, displacement or conflict.
Nana Yaa emphasised that emotional and psychological support must be integrated into educational frameworks in order to restore confidence, stability and long-term learning capacity.
The summit concluded with strong commitments from stakeholders to adopt sustainable financing models, strengthen data-driven policies and expand cross-sector partnerships.
The African British Business Forum reaffirmed its commitment to championing innovative, scalable solutions to educational inclusion across the UK, Africa and the wider global community.
