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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
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Oxfam in Ghana donates medical equipment and essential drugs worth GH¢1.5 million to Kasoa Polyclinic
Oxfam in Ghana has donated medical equipment and essential drugs worth about GH¢1.5 million to the Kasoa Polyclinic to strengthen maternal and reproductive healthcare services in the municipality.
The presentation, which took place on Tuesday, June 24, 2026, at the premises of the clinic in Kasoa, formed part of the sustainability and legacy activities under the Power to Choose (P2C) Project.
The donated items included delivery beds, maternity beds, oxygen cylinders, neonatal resuscitation equipment, blood pressure monitors, newborn weighing scales, suction machines, delivery kits, essential medicines, medical theatre wear and other critical supplies to support quality healthcare delivery.
The Power to Choose Project is a seven-year initiative being implemented by Oxfam in Ghana in partnership with the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), WiLDAF Ghana, SEND Ghana, Norsaac and PARDA, with funding from Global Affairs Canada through Oxfam Quebec.
The project seeks to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights for young people, particularly adolescent girls, young women and young men living in vulnerable and marginalised conditions.
Addressing nurses and management of the hospital, the Country Director for Oxfam in Ghana, Mohammed-Anwar Sadat Adam, said the project, which began in 2021 and will run until early 2028, is being implemented in seven countries across Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.
He said Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the two African countries benefiting from the project.
Mr. Adam noted that the project has already trained about 102 health workers in areas including youth-friendly services, emergency obstetric and neonatal care, family planning, gender-based violence response, respectful maternity care and inclusive healthcare delivery.
He said Oxfam and its partners conducted assessments at beneficiary facilities and identified equipment needs to help improve healthcare delivery.
According to him, the donation would create safe spaces where young women and girls could seek healthcare services without fear or stigma and would improve health outcomes in the community.
Mr. Adam thanked the Government of Canada, the Ghana Health Service, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Ghana (SOGOG), World Health Ghana and other partners for supporting the implementation of the project.
He urged the beneficiary facilities to ensure that the equipment is properly used and maintained to serve the community for many years.
A speech by the Municipal Health Director for Awutu Senya East, Dr. Stanley Kweku Yaidoo, which was read on his behalf by the Municipal Accountant, Rev. Dr. Askari Thomas, described the donation as timely and important.
He said quality healthcare delivery depends on manpower, financial resources and equipment, adding that healthcare workers cannot effectively deliver services without the necessary tools.
Dr. Yaidoo thanked Oxfam and its partners for selecting Kasoa as one of the beneficiary facilities and assured them that the equipment would be put to good use.
The Acting Medical Superintendent of Kasoa Polyclinic, Dr. Papa Kojo Arthur, expressed appreciation to Oxfam for its continuous support over the years through training and capacity building.
He said the equipment would greatly support the effective management of patients, particularly in maternal and child healthcare.
According to him, the donation would help reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in the municipality.
The donation formed part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of youth-friendly health facilities in eight implementing districts across five regions of Ghana to continue providing quality and accessible sexual and reproductive healthcare services beyond the lifespan of the project.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts (MoTCCA) has announced that an electronic copy of Ghana’s revised National Cultural Policy is now available online for free access by the public and stakeholders in the creative sector.
In a statement issued on June 22, the ministry said the revised policy was officially launched on June 9, 2026, at the National Theatre of Ghana in Accra.
According to the ministry, the decision to upload the document on its official website is aimed at ensuring widespread dissemination, increasing public awareness and promoting the effective implementation of the policy.
The ministry encouraged sector practitioners, stakeholders and members of the public to visit its website and read the document.
“The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, in the spirit of the Black Star Experience, remains committed to a transparent, inclusive and collaborative approach to building the better Ghana we want,” the statement said.
It added that it looks forward to the active participation of stakeholders in implementing the policy for the benefit of the country.
The ministry urged the public to take advantage of the free access to the policy document and familiarise themselves with its contents.
By: Jacob Aggrey
