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Rev. Ing. Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko Appointed Ag. Director General of NCA
President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Rev. Ing. Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko as the Acting Director General of the National Communications Authority (NCA).
This marks a historic moment for the Authority, as it is the first time a Director General has been appointed from within the organization.
Rev. Ing. Fianko is an electronic communications engineer with over twenty (20) years of expertise in radio frequency spectrum management, telecom and broadcasting regulation, policy formulation, change management, ICT industry research, writing, publishing, teaching, and public speaking.
In 2022, he was elected to the prestigious Radio Regulations Board (RRB) by Member countries of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to serve the global radiocommunications community for a four-year term (2023–2026).
Since joining the NCA as a National Service Person in 2004, Rev. Ing. Fianko has risen through the ranks and was confirmed as the Director for the Engineering Division in January 2024. In this role, he has led teams to plan, administer, manage, license, and monitor radio frequency spectrum for telecommunications and broadcasting services in Ghana. He has also served as Chairman of the Significant Market Power (SMP) Operations Team.
Rev. Ing. Fianko has chaired and also served as a member of several Technical and Regulatory Committees that have shaped industry standards, guidelines, and procedures. Internationally, he has played a significant role in organizations such as the African Telecommunication Union (ATU), the Regional African Satellite Communication Organization (RASCOM), the ITU Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA) and the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission. His work has also benefited neighbouring countries such as Benin and The Gambia.
Additionally, Rev. Ing. Fianko spearheaded Ghana’s transition from analogue to digital broadcasting and served as Secretary to the Digital Broadcasting Migration Committee (DBMC) from 2010 to 2016. His contributions include developing DTT receiver specifications, which were later adopted as ECOWAS standards.
He holds a first degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), a Masters in Communications Management from Buckinghamshire New University, England, and an MPhil in Applied Business Leadership and Management from Universidad Católica de Murcia, Spain.
Rev. Ing. Fianko is a member of the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He is also a Minister of the Methodist Church Ghana, a published author, and the founding leader of the evangelistic outreach ministry, Nkwa.Life.
With a proven track record in technology regulation, leadership, and innovation, Rev. Ing. Fianko brings a wealth of experience to the NCA and is expected to lead Ghana’s communication industry into a new era of growth and technological advancement.
He succeeds Dr. Joe Anokye, as the Acting Director General of the NCA.
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana has signed a debt restructuring agreement with the Kingdom of Belgium as part of efforts to restore the country’s economic stability after the financial crisis that hit the nation in 2022 and 2023.
The Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, today disclosed that he signed the agreement on behalf of the Government of Ghana.
He explained that Ghana experienced a very difficult period during the crisis, which forced the government at the time to declare a debt default.
However, he indicated that the country is now recovering and witnessing a significant economic turnaround.
According to him, stronger systems are also being put in place to ensure that Ghana does not return to such a situation again.
Dr Forson noted that the agreement with Belgium is the eighth deal Ghana has concluded with countries under the Official Creditor Committee as part of its external debt restructuring programme.
He expressed appreciation to the Government of Belgium for its support and partnership with Ghana during the process.
The Finance Minister thanked Carole van Eyll, Ambassador of Belgium to Ghana, for her role in strengthening relations between the two countries.
The agreement forms part of Ghana’s broader effort to restructure its external debts and stabilise the economy following the crisis.
By: Jacob Aggrey
