News
Abubakar Zico Newton changing educational narrative in Madina Zongo
Chancing on a report indicating that people with pre-school experience were likely to be in school far more than those without pre-school education was the spark Ishaq Abubakar Zico Newton needed to turn around the fortunes of young people in Madina Zongo.
Growing up in the same community where pre-school was not valued as he himself was not a beneficiary, Ishaq Abubakar Zico Newton decided to change the narrative of the children with the help of his mother’s already established foundation.
The foundation started on the compound of his home as an afternoon classes for children in the community.
“It was the brainchild of my aunt who never had the opportunity to go to school but always felt that education was going to be the game-changer in the near future.”
With this in mind, his aunt started a free after school classes in the afternoon.
The classes helped children with their home works as their parents could neither read nor write. This single act by his aunt really impacted the lives of most children in the community.
“My mother took over after the death of my aunty when she returned from Germany and thought it wise to create a foundation around it. She named it ‘Mother for all Foundation.’’’
She later took the foundation to another level by supporting the foundation with books for the children and paying the teacher to continue the afternoon classes.
In 2010, King Zico, as he is affectionately called in the community, felt the need to support his mother’s idea and take the foundation a notch higher.
With his educational background, he turned it into a pre-school for children in Madina Zongo where children from the ages of two to five years have access to free pre-school education.
Currently, there are about 250 children in the school which initially started with only two children.
“The goal of the foundation is to educate and also help improve on the educational standard of the people within Madina Zongo,” he said.
According to Mr Newton, most of the people supporting the foundation were beneficiaries of the afternoon classes started by his aunt.
He said the foundation embarked on several projects including a ‘Readcamp’ aimed at enhancing the literacy skills of school pupils, a play-based training programme for educators and facilitators with innovative tools to transform classrooms.
“Other projects included mask up and sanitise campaign and covid-19 food relief project,” he stated.
He said that over the period of eight years, close to thousand youths and children have had their lives transformed through the foundation.
Background
Zico loves to describe himself as Zongo boy who at a point realised that actors of change are community people who wish to see the change in their communities.
He grew up from a very deprived family where he and his siblings as well as friends had to go look for mangoes in the bush and sell.
At other times “we looked for ‘alumi’ in the gutters and in people’s homes and at times we have just pick peoples cooking utensils at their blind side, crash them and sell,” adding that “that was how we survived.”
Education
King Zico never had a pre-school experience. He started school at Gospel International School in Madina Estates. After owing so much in terms of fees, he secured a scholarship from the school.
This followed the headmaster’s decision to allow him attend the school for free because it was obvious he couldn’t pay.
He move from there to the Faith Community Baptist School where he had my Junior High School (JHS) education
King Zico continued to the West African Secondary School (WASS) but could not write the final examination because “my name was synonymous to school fees arrears.”
King Zico later registered for Nov/ Dec and continued to the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) now University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) where he studied Diploma in Business Studies (DBS) with accounting option.
“I was of the hope that I will be able to secure a job with the certificate, but unfortunately, I did not, so I ended up on the streets again and did some basic jobs and finally enrolled myself into the African University College of Communication.’’
Hobby
At his spare time, King Zico loves to listen to music and enjoys rice and stew at any given time.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
The Minority Caucus on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has called for urgent and decisive action following recent xenophobic attacks on Ghanaians living in South Africa.
In a statement issued in Accra on April 29, the caucus expressed concern about what it described as a growing pattern of violence against foreign nationals, including Ghanaians, in areas such as KwaZulu-Natal, Durban and Gauteng.
The group noted that Ghanaian-owned businesses have been attacked, while some individuals have been harassed and assaulted. It added that, in certain cases, victims have also been denied access to essential services.
According to the statement, claims that foreign nationals are responsible for crime and economic hardship are unfounded and should be rejected.
The caucus referred to the widely circulated assault of a Ghanaian, Emmanuel Asamoah, as an example of the severity of the situation. It also raised concern about reports that some incidents occurred in the presence of law enforcement officers without effective intervention.
The Minority acknowledged steps taken by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, including his engagement with South African authorities and efforts to provide consular support to affected Ghanaians.
It noted the public condemnation of the attacks by President Cyril Ramaphosa, describing these as necessary but not sufficient.
The caucus called on the South African government to ensure the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible and to hold security agencies accountable where they fail to act.
It urged authorities to take practical steps to protect foreign nationals across the country.
On the part of Ghana, the Minority urged the government to adopt a stronger and more structured response.
It called for direct engagement between President John Dramani Mahama and President Ramaphosa to secure firm commitments on the safety of Ghanaians.
The statement further recommended increased consular support for citizens in affected areas and called for the issue to be escalated to the African Union for an urgent inquiry into recurring xenophobic attacks.
It urged the government to work with regional partners within ECOWAS to present a unified response.
The Minority suggested that Ghana should seek assurances from South Africa, including confirmed arrests, clear prosecution processes and a plan to protect foreign nationals.
It added that compensation should be considered for victims who have suffered losses.
The statement, signed by the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, urged Ghanaians in South Africa to remain cautious and maintain contact with the Ghana High Commission.
It stressed that Ghana must act firmly to protect its citizens and uphold the principles of cooperation and solidarity among African countries.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Climate Change and Sustainability Ministry backs WiSA International Festival to promote women-led climate action
The Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability has expressed support for the Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) International Festival, aimed at promoting inclusive climate action and sustainable development across the continent.
In a statement, the Office said it recognises WiSA as an important platform that brings together governments, development partners, the private sector and civil society to drive climate solutions and economic transformation.
The Festival is scheduled to take place on May 1, 2026, at the Cedi Conference Centre from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
This year’s event under the theme: Empowering Women For The Economic Sustainability of Africa, will feature, Liu Yaw Nana, Acting Secretary of Ghana-Chinese Business Chamber of Commerce, Issifu Seidu, Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, Dr.Agness Naa Momo Lartey, Minister for Gender Children and Social Protection, Bishop E.O Ansah, General Overseer, Eternal Life Church, President, Women’s Development Association, Turkey, Nilgün Zaimoğlu and Chief of Government Relations and Africa UN Global Compact.
Additionally, it will host, Dr.Charity Binka, Chairperson, Chairperson, African Women Leaders Network , Pearl Opoku, Trader and GUTA National Organiser, Lydia Abbey, Makola Market Queen, actress Juliet Ibrahim, CEO of FZ Global Legacy, Francesca Zoppi, The Revival Founder, Yayra Agbofah and many others.
According to the statement, WiSA’s vision, led by Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, aligns with national and continental goals on climate resilience, green growth and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Office noted that WiSA’s focus on empowering women as key drivers of sustainability and economic productivity is a practical approach to addressing climate challenges and development gaps.
It highlighted WiSA’s track record of engaging global institutions and organising multi-stakeholder events as evidence of its ability to mobilise partnerships and deliver results.
The Ministry said the 2026 Festival presents an opportunity to promote climate-smart investments, green innovation and scalable solutions in areas such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and the circular economy.
It added that the event will also support public-private partnerships and strengthen Africa-led solutions in global sustainability discussions.
As part of its commitment, the Office said it will support policy coordination, facilitate engagement with relevant government agencies, and promote an enabling environment for climate finance and green investments.
It also pledged to contribute to knowledge sharing, technical support and stakeholder mobilisation.
The statement emphasised that investing in initiatives like WiSA is key to driving inclusive economic growth, building resilience and achieving long-term development goals.
It further stressed that empowering women remains central to delivering sustainable and equitable outcomes.
The Office called on organisations to partner with WiSA to support climate action and sustainable development efforts across Africa.
By: Jacob Aggrey
